Department for Transport

Ferries: Coronavirus

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps the Government has taken to help ensure the safety of (a) passengers and (b) crew on ferries during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Kelly Tolhurst: Officials and I have engaged all parts of the maritime sector throughout the global COVID-19 pandemic and continue to do so. The Government has produced a wide range of guidance for the safety of passengers and crew. We have also worked closely with Public Health England and the Department for Health and Social Care to ensure ferry operators have access to guidance that provides advice on reducing the risk for passengers and crew helping to ensure their safety. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency has also provided a range of advice and measures to support the ongoing safe operation of lifeline and other ferry services. The Department also welcomes the recent publication of guidance by the UK Chamber of Shipping which provides further industry led advice on how passenger ferries can continue to operate safely during the phased lifting of restrictions.

Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation: Hydrogen

Ben Lake: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential benefit of extending the Renewal Transport Fuel Obligation  to incentivise the production of green hydrogen.

Rachel Maclean: Renewable hydrogen supplied in the UK is eligible for support under the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO), a certificate trading scheme. It is categorised as a development fuel, which potentially benefits from a higher tradeable certificate value.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Bioengineering

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to increase support for engineering biology; and whether he plans to respond to the Royal Academy of Engineering's report Engineering biology: A priority for growth, published November 2019.

Nadhim Zahawi: On 4 June I met with the Royal Academy of Engineering to discuss their report in to engineering biology and agreed to have a discussion with industry leads to fully understand the opportunities these technologies have to offer.

Renewable Energy: Finance

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of a community energy contract for difference.

Kwasi Kwarteng: Community projects are already entitled to apply for a contract for difference to build and operate a renewable electricity generating station, provided they satisfy the eligibility requirements of the scheme. The Government keeps all aspects of the Contracts for Difference scheme under review on an ongoing basis, and the next allocation round is scheduled to take place in 2021.

Bounce Back Loan Scheme

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, which Bounce Back Loan scheme accredited lenders are providing access to that scheme to new customers.

Paul Scully: In order to offer the Bounce Back Loan Scheme (BBLS), finance providers must be accredited by the Government-owned British Business Bank. Accrediting new lenders for BBLS is a priority for the Bank. It is working at pace to accredit more lenders to further extend the scheme’s reach and provide more choice for businesses. There are currently 26 accredited lenders for the BBLS. Several of these lenders are currently accepting applications from new customers and this is changing frequently. More information on all accredited lenders can be found on the British Business Bank website.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Art Works

Sir Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what estimate he has made of the number of works of art in his Department's buildings that depict (a) former slave owners and (b) slave trade merchants; and if he will make a statement.

Nadhim Zahawi: The artwork on display in the Department’s headquarters building at 1 Victoria Street, London, is supplied by the Government Art Collection. All works are Modern (post-1900) and contemporary pieces, and do not depict former slave owners or slave trade merchants.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Cybercrime

Sir Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many cyber-attacks have been conducted against his Department in each of the last five years; and how many of those attacks were successful.

Nadhim Zahawi: Releasing details about cyber-attacks conducted against the Department may be detrimental to the Department’s security. On this basis, I am withholding the information requested as I deem that publication would not be in the public interest.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Staff

Sir Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many settlement agreements were agreed between his Department and staff in each of the last five years; and how much was paid out in respect of such agreements.

Nadhim Zahawi: The Department is interpreting the term “settlement agreement” to be an agreement that is reached and that is associated with a non-contractual payment, made in full settlement of a employee-related issue, that has arisen in the course of an employee’s employment with the Department.The number of settlement agreements (cases) for each calendar year since the creation of the Department in July 2016 is as follows:July 2016 – December 2016 – No cases;January 2017 – December 2017 – No cases;January 2018 – December 2018 – No cases;January 2019 – December 2019 – No cases;January 2020 to date – No cases.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Lost Property

Sir Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many of his Department's (a) laptops, (b) memory sticks and (c) external hard drives have been lost in each of the last five years.

Nadhim Zahawi: The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has lost laptops as follows: DateNumber of Laptops Lost2016 (from Mid-July)N/A2017N/A2018152019182020 (to end June)6 Information about the loss of memory sticks and external hard drives is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Data Protection

Sir Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many data breaches his Department has reported to the Information Commissioner in each of the last five years.

Nadhim Zahawi: The Department of Business Energy and Industrial Strategy was formed on 14 July 2016. Since that period, the Department has reported the following personal data breaches to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) which met the ICO threshold for notification purposes:2016 = 02017 = 02018 = 32019 = 1.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Display Energy Certificates

Sir Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many of his Department's buildings have had their Display Energy Certificate rating improve in each of the last five years.

Kwasi Kwarteng: The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy was formed in 2016. In each year since then the Display Energy Certificate rating for the Department’s headquarters building (1 Victoria Street, London) has improved, with the exception of 2018-19. The annual ratings are shown in the table below: Year2016/172017/182018/192019/20DEC ratingE – 117E – 114E – 115E – 113

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Buildings

Sir Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many of his Department's redundant buildings have been converted into housing in each of the last five years; and what proportion of those conversions were made into affordable housing .

Nadhim Zahawi: The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has not disposed of any redundant buildings for conversion into housing since it was formed in July 2016.

Coronavirus: Personal Care Services

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will publish additional conditions that will need to be met by spas, nail bars, beauty salons and tanning salons, massage therapists, tattoo and piercing parlours before such business are allowed to reopen during the covid-19 outbreak; and if he will publish the scientific evidence that such businesses pose a greater public health risk than pubs, bars and restaurants if personal protection equipment is worn and social distancing rules are applied.

Paul Scully: There is clearly a risk of greater transmission in close proximity services. That is why we have had to phase their introduction. We had to make difficult choices to keep the R rate below 1. We appreciate that this is difficult for some businesses. Our approach is guided by the scientific and medical advice, and every step is weighed against the evidence, remembering that the more we open up the more vigilant we will need to be. SAGE has already confirmed that they will publish all past minutes and supporting documents. SAGE information is shared on its website: https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/scientific-advisory-group-for-emergencies-sage-coronavirus-covid-19-response.

New Businesses: Coronavirus

Simon Baynes: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to support innovative and fast-growing firms during the covid-19 outbreak.

Paul Scully: The Government is aware of the role that innovative businesses play in supporting economic growth as our economy recovers from the Covid-19 crisis. That is why my Rt. Hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer announced a £1.25 billion package to help protect firms driving innovation in the UK.This package includes the Future Fund, which provides innovative companies with convertible loans, investing between £125k and £5m, on the condition that third-party investors at least match the Future Fund’s commitment. Developed by Government and delivered by the British Business Bank, the Future Fund launched for applications in May and will initially be open until the end of September. As of 12 July, the Future Fund had facilitated 429 loans totalling £420 million.SMEs focusing on research and development are also benefiting from £750 million of grants and loans through Innovate UK.This package builds on the government’s existing support for innovative, high-growth firms including the British Business Bank’s £2.5 billion British Patient Capital programme, internationally competitive R&D tax reliefs, and our commitment to increase public R&D spending to £22 billion by 2024-25.

Coronavirus: Personal Care Services

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what plans he has to enable beauticians who work from their own homes to reopen in the event that they make their workplace covid-secure.

Paul Scully: All Close Contact Services were allowed to reopen from 13 July, subject to them following COVID-secure guidelines. On 17 July, my Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister announced that Close Contact Services including treatments on the face are allowed to resume as of 1st August in a COVID-secure way. We appreciate that this is difficult for some businesses. Our approach is guided by the scientific and medical advice, and every step is weighed against the evidence, remembering that the more we open up the more vigilant we will need to be.

Businesses: Coronavirus

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when the Government plans to announce the reopening date for businesses not allowed to reopen on 4 July 2020 as covid-19 lockdown restrictions are eased.

Paul Scully: All Close Contact Services were allowed to reopen from 13 July, subject to them following COVID-secure guidelines. On 17 July, my Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister announced that Close Contact Services including treatments on the face are allowed to resume as of 1st August in a COVID-secure way. We appreciate that this is difficult for some businesses. Our approach is guided by the scientific and medical advice, and every step is weighed against the evidence, remembering that the more we open up the more vigilant we will need to be.

Business: Research

Deidre Brock: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 6 July 2020 to Question 66895 on Business: Research, what proportion of the £750 million of targeted support for R&D intensive firms he plans to allocate as (a) grants and (b) loans.

Amanda Solloway: Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation, is investing £750 million of targeted support for the most R&D intensive small and medium size firms.The package consists of: Up to £210 million of this funding will constitute new loans for organisations with existing Innovate UK awards that find themselves facing a funding shortage due to COVID-19£200 million of accelerated grant and loan payments for existing customersUp to £90 million in grants to be paid up front for existing customers that are facing a funding gap due to COVID-19£20 million in grants to double the number of businesses receiving funding through the Innovate UK call for business-led innovation in response to global disruption due to the pandemicUp to £191 million in grants through the Sustainable Innovation Fund.£39 million for additional support for businesses over a 12 month period through the EEN Business Advisory Service The exact allocation between grants and loans will depend on need.

Business: Research

Deidre Brock: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 6 July 2020 to Question 66895 on Business: Research, how he plans to allocate the £20 million of funding to double the number of businesses receiving funding through the Innovate UK call for business led innovation.

Amanda Solloway: The Innovate UK call for business-led innovation in response to global disruption due to the pandemic was originally launched as a £20 million competition awarding grants of up to £50,000 to technology and research-focussed businesses. Due to the record breaking level of interest from across the UK, it was announced on the 20th May that over 800 companies that applied to this would share grant funding of £40 million, double the amount first planned for this competition. The additional money was allocated according to the existing terms and reference of the competition, eligibility requirements and conditions can be found on the UK Research and Innovation and GOV.UK website.

Green Homes Grant Scheme

Wera Hobhouse: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what technologies will be covered by the Green Homes Grant scheme.

Kwasi Kwarteng: In his Summer Economic Update, my Rt. Hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer announced a £2bn Green Home Grant scheme that will support homeowners and landlords in England to improve the energy efficiency of their properties, reducing energy bills and carbon emissions, and supporting a green economic recovery.The funding will be spent on paying for accredited tradespeople to install a range of measures, for example insulation, to improve the energy performance of their homes. The scheme is due to be launched in Autumn 2020. Further details on the scheme are due to be released in the coming days.

Clothing: Manufacturing Industries

Claudia Webbe: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that garment companies in Leicester comply with their responsibilities under the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.

Paul Scully: The Government expects UK businesses to act according to the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, the authoritative, voluntary international framework, which steers all businesses worldwide on these matters and sets expectations that they should respect human rights. The UK was the first country in the world to produce a national action plan, in 2013, to respond to the voluntary Guiding Principles and subsequently we were also the first to review and update our national plan, in 2016. Our action plan confirms the expectation that all our businesses should comply with all applicable laws; identify and prevent human rights risks; and behave in line with the Guiding Principles, including in management of their supply chains here and overseas. Following the increase in COVID-19 infections in Leicester and fresh allegations of links to unsafe working conditions, labour exploitation, and potential modern slavery in textiles factories, the National Crime Agency have launched an investigation into these serious concerns. If evidence of wrongdoing and illegal exploitation comes to light, the perpetrators will face the full force of the law.

Clothing: Manufacturing Industries

Claudia Webbe: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what plans his Department has to encourage trade union membership to help tackle exploitation in Leicester’s garment industry.

Paul Scully: The Government recognises the positive role trade unions can play in the workplace, however collective bargaining is largely a matter for individual employers, their employees and their trade unions. Where possible, industrial relations should be undertaken on a voluntary basis, although if workers want a union to represent them, they have the means to secure this through the CAC statutory recognition procedure.

Conditions of Employment

Claudia Webbe: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions officials of his Department have had with representatives of (a) trade unions and (b) civil society groups on labour rights (i) protections and (ii) violations in supply chains.

Paul Scully: As part of his annual strategy 2018/19, the former Director of Labour Market Enforcement - Sir David Metcalf – recommended that the Government introduce joint responsibility to encourage the top of the chain to take an active role to tackle labour market breaches through their supply chain. Sir David also recommended that provisions should be made to enable the temporary embargo of “hot goods” to disrupt supply chain activity where significant non-compliance is found. The Government consulted on these recommendations as part of a wider consultation on the creation of a new Single Enforcement Body for employment rights. During the consultation period, officials from the Department discussed labour market breaches in supply chains with a range of representatives of trade unions and civil society groups. This included a dedicated roundtable to discuss non-compliance in supply chains, and a meeting with members of the Modern Slavery Strategy Implementation Group to further discuss the topic. These discussions have been of great value and the Government response to the consultation will be published in due course.

Manufacturing Industries

Claudia Webbe: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of making it compulsory for (a) garment industry and (b) other companies to publish a full list of their supplier facilities on an annual basis.

Paul Scully: The Government encourages businesses to be open and transparent to respond to consumers’ legitimate interest in where and how the products they buy have been manufactured. UK listed companies are required to report on impacts material to their business including information about supply chains where this is necessary for an understanding of the business as part of their annual reports. Separately, the Modern Slavery Act specifically requires UK large businesses to publish supply chain transparency statements in a prominent place on their website.

Clothing: Manufacturing Industries

Claudia Webbe: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if his Department will undertake a review of garment distributors' (a) purchasing practices and (b) costing models to assess whether those practices and models support the payment of the minimum wage by garment industry suppliers.

Paul Scully: The Department does not have any current plans to review garment distributors’ purchasing practices or costing models.

Clothing: Manufacturing Industries

Claudia Webbe: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of suspending the sales and production of allegedly exploitative companies in the garment industry sector pending investigation into (a) safety measures and (b) reports of fraud at factories supplying those companies.

Paul Scully: We are deeply concerned by the appalling reports of illegal and unsafe working conditions for garment workers and welcome all intelligence on this issue. The Government will not tolerate the exploitation of vulnerable workers for commercial gain and already spends £33 million a year on state enforcement of employment rights. Where non-compliance is found, the enforcement bodies will deploy a range of actions ranging from providing specific advice to employers, issuing enforcement notices, prosecutions and director disqualification.In his 2018/19 Labour Market Enforcement Strategy, the previous Director of Labour Market Enforcement recommended introducing joint responsibility for brands at the top of a supply chain where non-compliance is found. He also recommended provisions for the temporary embargo of “hot goods” to disrupt supply chain activity where significant non-compliance is found. The Government agrees that businesses at the top of the supply chain need to work with their suppliers to take corrective action when non-compliance is identified but recognises that any measures should be proportionate. Government has consulted on these recommendations as part of the Single Enforcement Body consultation and will publish the response in due course.

Conditions of Employment

Claudia Webbe: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department plans to take to ensure that the incomes of workers are fully supported at or above the minimum wage in cases where their employers are under investigation for alleged exploitative or unsafe working practices.

Paul Scully: The Government is committed to cracking down on employers who fail to pay the National Minimum Wage. We are clear that anyone entitled to be paid the minimum wage should receive it. All businesses – irrespective of their size or business sector – are responsible for paying the correct minimum wage to their staff.Individuals can contact the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS) on 0300 123 1100 or at www.acas.org.uk for confidential, impartial, and free advice if they think they are being underpaid. They can also complain to HMRC, which is responsible for enforcing National Minimum Wage legislation. HMRC will consider every complaint it receives.The Government has more than doubled the budget for National Minimum Wage compliance and enforcement to £27.5 million for 2020/21, up from £13.2 million in 2015/16. Increasing the budget allows HMRC to focus on tackling the most serious cases of non-compliance. It also increases the number of compliance officers available to investigate minimum wage complaints and conduct risk-based enforcement in sectors where non-compliance is most likely.The safer workplaces guidance does not change existing obligations relating to health and safety, employment, or equalities. If the enforcing authority finds that an employer is not taking action to properly manage workplace risk, a range of actions are open to them including specific advice or issuing enforcement notices.

Companies Act 2006: Slavery

Claudia Webbe: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if the Government will make an assessment of the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals to update the Companies Act 2006 to include explicit reference to modern slavery and supply chains.

Paul Scully: UK listed companies are currently required to report on human rights impacts material to their business as part of their annual reports. Separately, the Modern Slavery Act specifically requires UK large businesses to publish supply chain transparency statements in a prominent place on their website.

Public Sector: Buildings

Drew Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, which technologies will be eligible under the Government's plans to allocate £1 billion for the decarbonisation of public sector buildings.

Kwasi Kwarteng: The Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme will offer grants to public sector bodies to fund both energy efficiency and low carbon heat measures. The details of the eligible technologies in scope for the scheme will be announced in due course.

Social Rented Housing: Carbon Emissions

Drew Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, which technologies will be eligible under the Government's plans to allocate £50 million for the decarbonisation of social housing.

Kwasi Kwarteng: Further details on the Social Housing Demonstrator, including which technologies will be eligible, will be announced at its launch in the Autumn.Funding will be allocated competitively, building on the experience of the Whole House Retrofit (WHR) programme. The WHR competition was launched in May 2019 and awarded a total of £7.7m to the first three winning organisations in the Whole House Retrofit competition.

Slavery

Claudia Webbe: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what plans he has to publish an update of the Financial Reporting Council’s (FRC) Corporate Governance Code and UK Stewardship Code, and the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) listing rules to require modern slavery disclosures on a (a) comply or (b) explain basis.

Paul Scully: It is already a legal requirement under Section 54 (transparency in supply chains provision) of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 for commercial organisations carrying on business in the UK with a turnover of over £36m a year to produce an annual statement setting out the measures they have taken to ensure that no slavery or human trafficking has taken place in their business or through their supply chains.

Clothing: Manufacturing Industries

Claudia Webbe: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps the Government has taken to work with representatives of industrial sectors to identify the source of raw material in garments to tackle social and environmental abuses in supply chains.

Paul Scully: UK listed companies are required to report on social and environmental impacts material to their business, including information about supply chains, where this is necessary for an understanding of the business as part of their annual reports. Separately, the Modern Slavery Act specifically requires UK large businesses to publish transparency in supply chains statements in a prominent place on their website. The Government looks to businesses to be open and transparent in responding to consumers’ interest in where and how the products they source have been manufactured, including the use of raw materials.

Bounce Back Loan Scheme

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what the average time is between application and payment of Bounce Back Loans by banks to customers who (a) have an existing business bank account and (b) are new customers.

Paul Scully: The processing of applications under the Bounce Back Loan Scheme is fully delegated to the 26 accredited lenders. The length of time from application to payment will vary across each of these lenders. A number of factors, including whether or not a customer has an existing relationship with the lender, will have an impact on how long the application process will take. In order to apply for the scheme, businesses complete a short, simple, online application form, meaning that applications can be submitted and processed rapidly, and loans can be accessed within a matter of days. The Government is providing lenders with a 100% guarantee on each loan to give them the confidence they need to support the smallest businesses in the country.

Housing: Energy

James Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what estimate his Department has made of the proportion of (a) fuel poor, (b) social rented and (c) private rented homes that will reach EPC Band C by (i) 2025 and (ii) 2030.

Kwasi Kwarteng: As of the most recent fuel poverty statistics, 10% of fuel poor, 56% of social rented and 33% of private rented homes are EPC Band C or above. As set out in the Clean Growth Strategy, the Government remains committed to fuel poor homes being upgraded to energy efficiency Band C by 2030, and our aspiration is that as many homes as possible are EPC Band C by 2035, where practical, cost effective and affordable.

Green Homes Grant Scheme

Gavin Newlands: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he will take to prevent fraudulent claims being made by contractors and individuals to the Green Homes Grant scheme.

Kwasi Kwarteng: The Government has a zero-tolerance approach to fraud. A bespoke package of counter-fraud measures will be built into the scheme design, drawing on best practice and lessons learnt from previous domestic and international schemes.

Green Homes Grant Scheme

Gavin Newlands: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he made of the effectiveness of the Green Deal scheme as part of devising the Green Homes Grant scheme.

Kwasi Kwarteng: In his Summer Economic Update, my Rt. Hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer announced a £2bn Green Home Grant scheme that will support homeowners and landlords of rented homes in England to improve the energy efficiency of their properties, reducing energy bills and carbon emissions, and supporting a green economic recovery.The funding will be spent on paying for accredited tradespeople to install a range of measures, for example insulation, to improve the energy performance of their homes. Further detail on the eligibility for the scheme will be announced in the coming days, before the scheme’s full launch.

Green Homes Grant Scheme

Gavin Newlands: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether households under an obligation under the Green Deal scheme will be eligible for the Green Homes Grant.

Kwasi Kwarteng: In his Summer Economic Update, my Rt. Hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer announced a £2bn Green Home Grant scheme that will support homeowners and landlords of rented homes in England to improve the energy efficiency of their properties, reducing energy bills and carbon emissions, and supporting a green economic recovery.The funding will be spent on paying for accredited tradespeople to install a range of measures, for example insulation, to improve the energy performance of their homes. Further detail on the eligibility for the scheme will be announced in the coming days, before the scheme’s full launch.

Housing Improvement: Small Businesses

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to his oral statement of 8 July 2020, Economic Update, what steps he is taking to support small home improvement businesses in the short-term in the event that people will potentially delay energy improvements until the green homes grant is made available in September 2020.

Kwasi Kwarteng: We are working to finalise the details of the new scheme as quickly as possible, including which measures will be included. We will set out further details over the coming weeks to give consumers and installers greater certainty.

Green Homes Grant Scheme

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of bringing forward the start date of the green homes grant, announced in his oral statement of 8 July 2020.

Kwasi Kwarteng: In his Summer Economic Update, my Rt. Hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer announced a £2bn Green Home Grant scheme that will support homeowners and landlords in England to improve the energy efficiency of their properties, reducing energy bills and carbon emissions, and supporting a green economic recovery.The start date of the scheme was chosen to support effective delivery and beneficial impact. Further detail on the range of measures will be announced in the coming days, before the scheme’s full launch.

Construction: North Wales

Simon Baynes: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what support he is providing to small builders in North Wales.

Nadhim Zahawi: Whilst policy relating to construction is a devolved matter, my Rt. Hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer has announced a £330 billion support package of Government-backed and guaranteed loans so as to help businesses to access finance, including those in Wales. Measures include the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS), which enables small and medium-sized enterprises, with a turnover of up to £45 million, to access vital financial support. This is available to businesses in Wales via high street banks and the Development Bank of Wales. The Chancellor has extended the CBILS so that all viable businesses affected by COVID-19, and not just those unable to secure regular commercial financing, will now be eligible should they need finance to keep operating during this difficult time. In addition, we announced the Bounce Back Loans Scheme, which provides loans of up to £50,000 to benefit small businesses with a 100% Government-backed guarantee for lenders. The Welsh Government has announced a new £500 million Welsh fund which will support firms of all sizes, including social enterprises.

Amazon: Deliveroo

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to ensure that any potential investment by Amazon in Deliveroo is limited to ensure that local delivery companies are not forced out by unfair competition.

Paul Scully: Competition investigations into mergers are a matter for the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), which is an independent non-Ministerial department. The CMA is currently conducting a review of this transaction. This is being carried out independently.

Ceramics: Carbon Emissions

Jonathan Gullis: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to support research and development in the ceramics industry to help reduce carbon emissions.

Nadhim Zahawi: At the 2020 Budget, my Rt. Hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer announced that the Government will at least double the size of the Department’s Energy Innovation Programme to £1 billion. This programme will focus on decarbonising UK power, homes, and industry (including ceramics), to meet the challenge of net zero emissions by 2050. Ceramics, along with the other 5 sectors that make up the foundation industries, are eligible for a share of the £66 million Transforming Foundation Industries element of the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund. This Challenge looks to reduce environmental impact, including carbon emissions, through resource and energy efficiency. We are funding a number of projects relevant to the ceramics industry, including hybrid sintering, the development of new ceramic fibres for enhanced filtering, heat recovery in furnaces, robotics-based optimisation, and non-combustible cladding systems.

Shops: Social Distancing

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether the Government monitors compliance with social distancing in shops.

Paul Scully: On the whole, the British public has stuck to the rules and for the most part have maintained social distance in those retail outlets that have remained open during the pandemic.Local authorities and HSE will take social distancing guidelines into account when monitoring compliance and considering action against employers who are not complying with the relevant public health legislation and guidance to control public health risks.The Government will consider if a stronger approach is needed and will take appropriate action as necessary.

Shipping: Wind Power

Karl Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to ensure that vessels contracted to work on offshore wind farm developments in UK waters are based in UK ports for the duration of such contracts.

Kwasi Kwarteng: The Government is committed to ensuring the economic benefits to the UK arising from offshore wind deployment is maximised.Developers of offshore wind farms and offshore wind turbine manufacturers are responsible for contracting for vessels to build offshore wind farms. This is a commercial matter for the companies concerned.

Horizon 2020

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what plans the Government has for the UK’s future association with the Horizon Europe programme.

Amanda Solloway: It is our ambition to fully associate to Horizon Europe if we can agree a fair and balanced deal, but we will make a final decision once it is clear whether such terms can be reached. The Horizon Europe Programme is currently being negotiated in the EU institutions and has not yet been finalised. The Programme must be adopted by the EU before arrangements for potential UK participation could be finalised. In tandem with our negotiations, as a responsible government, we are also developing alternative schemes to support international research and innovation collaboration.If we do not formally associate to Horizon Europe, we will implement ambitious alternatives as quickly as possible from January 2021 and address the funding gap. This includes making funding available to allow UK partners to participate in European schemes open to third countries.

Hydrogen: Climate Change Convention

Greg Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what plans he has to promote the UK's hydrogen sector at COP26.

Kwasi Kwarteng: COP26 will provide an opportunity to demonstrate a range of UK innovations and developments, including potential use of hydrogen as a contributor to achieving our net-zero ambition. We are exploring how this might be achieved, including demonstration of hydrogen appliances developed under the Hy4Heat programme, as part of the BEIS Energy Innovation Portfolio. The UK is well placed to enhance international cooperation to accelerate clean energy innovation, including hydrogen technologies.

Hydrogen: Renewable Energy

Greg Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what plans he has to set a target for the production of green hydrogen by (a) 2025, (b) 2030 and (c) 2050.

Kwasi Kwarteng: We recognise the important role that targets, alongside long-term policy frameworks have often played in the development of low carbon technology in the UK. We are currently developing our strategic approach to hydrogen and its potential to deliver against our net zero goals. We will set out our plans in due course. We are undertaking extensive stakeholder engagement as we develop new policy to help bring forward the technologies and supply chains, we will need to grow the UK hydrogen economy, including green hydrogen. As part of this we are looking to formalise regular engagement between Government and industry to discuss and drive development of the UK hydrogen economy. We have not set any targets, although we support green hydrogen production facilities both through innovation funding and other grants. An example is our support for the industrialisation of production processes at the new ITM Power Gigafactory being built in Sheffield which when complete will be the largest electrolyser manufacturing facility in the world.

Hydrogen: Renewable Energy

Greg Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to support the development of green hydrogen production facilities.

Kwasi Kwarteng: The Government is committed to exploring the option of hydrogen as a strategic decarbonised energy carrier. In line with this we are currently investing up to £121 million in hydrogen innovation, supporting a range of projects exploring the production and potential of low carbon hydrogen across the value chain. We support green hydrogen production facilities both through innovation funding and other grants. An example is our support for the industrialisation of production processes at the new ITM Power Gigafactory being built in Sheffield which when complete will be the largest electrolyser manufacturing facility in the world.

Hydrogen

Greg Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to produce a UK-wide hydrogen strategy.

Kwasi Kwarteng: The Government is committed to the development of hydrogen as a strategic decarbonised energy carrier for the UK. We are currently developing our strategic approach to hydrogen and its potential to deliver against our net zero goals. We will set out our plans in due course. In order to inform our approach, we are undertaking extensive stakeholder engagement as we develop new policy to help bring forward the technologies and supply chains, we will need to grow the UK hydrogen economy. This includes business models to support the deployment of, and investment in, low carbon hydrogen production and a £100m Low Carbon Hydrogen Production Fund to stimulate capital investment. We will be further engaging with industry on both schemes throughout the year.

Hydrogen

Greg Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the hydrogen strategies being published by (a) Germany, (b) Denmark and (c) the European Commission.

Kwasi Kwarteng: The Government is committed to the development of hydrogen as a strategic decarbonised energy carrier. We are closely monitoring international hydrogen developments and participate in a range of international fora, including the International Partnership for Hydrogen for Fuel Cells in the Economy, Mission Innovation and Clean Energy Ministerial. These forums offer opportunities to discuss international activity on hydrogen, including strategies put forward by Germany, Denmark, and the European Commission. This contributes to understanding of, for example, respective drivers for interest, levels of ambition, innovation priorities and policy support frameworks. This is informing our own strategic approach to the development of hydrogen in the UK context, including opportunities for partnership and economic benefit.

Hydrogen: Investment

Greg Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to support private investment in the UK's hydrogen sector.

Kwasi Kwarteng: It is clear, there is growing interest in the Hydrogen sector and we are in regular discussions with businesses about their investment plans for hydrogen projects. The Government is currently investing up to £121 million in hydrogen innovation, supporting a range of projects exploring the potential of low carbon hydrogen across the value chain. Alongside our innovation activity, we are developing sustainable business models to support hydrogen production and will be engaging with Industry on the £100m Low Carbon Hydrogen Fund later this year. We are undertaking extensive stakeholder engagement as we develop new policy to help bring forward the technologies and supply chains, we will need to grow the UK hydrogen economy. As part of this we are looking to formalise regular engagement between Government and industry to discuss and drive development of the UK hydrogen economy. This will consider how we can best work together to encourage increased private sector investment in hydrogen projects, growing the hydrogen supply chain and providing clean growth and new jobs across the UK.

Green Homes Grant Scheme

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when he plans to make an announcement on the (a) eligibility for and (b) products that will be available under the Green Homes Grant.

Kwasi Kwarteng: In his Summer Economic Update, my Rt. Hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer announced a £2bn Green Home Grant scheme that will support homeowners and landlords in England to improve the energy efficiency of their properties, reducing energy bills and carbon emissions, and supporting a green economic recovery.The funding will be spent on paying for accredited tradespeople to install a range of measures, for example insulation, to improve the energy performance of their homes. Further detail on the range of measures will be announced in the coming days, before the scheme’s full launch.

Green Homes Grant Scheme

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether energy-efficient windows will be classified as a high priority product in the Green Homes Grant.

Kwasi Kwarteng: In his Summer Economic Update, my Rt. Hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer announced a £2bn Green Home Grant scheme that will support homeowners and landlords in England to improve the energy efficiency of their properties, reducing energy bills and carbon emissions, and supporting a green economic recovery.The funding will be spent on paying for accredited tradespeople to install a range of measures, for example insulation, to improve the energy performance of their homes. Further detail on the range of measures will be announced in the coming days, before the scheme’s full launch.

Celsa Steel UK: Coronavirus

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will publish the terms of the bailout loan provided to Celsa Steel, including (a) the detail of the conditions applied on (i) jobs, (ii) climate, (iii) governance and (iv) tax, (b) how those conditions are legally binding, (c) the steps the Government plans take to monitor compliance with those conditions and (d) what options the Government has available to it and will take if those conditions are not met.

Nadhim Zahawi: As set out in my Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State’s Written Ministerial Statement on 2 July, the details of the loan to Celsa UK are subject to commercial confidentiality. The loan has been designed to benefit the workforce, business, and wider society. This will ensure that public money is used to further benefit the UK, including protecting over 1,000 jobs. The loan requires further financial commitments from shareholders and existing lenders and will be monitored by the Government in line with HM Treasury’s rules on ‘Managing Public Money’.

Green Homes Grant Scheme

Neil Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Chancellor of the Exchequer's oral contribution of 8 July 2020, Official Report column 976, what estimate he has made of the number of people on low incomes that will benefit from the green homes grant scheme to fund energy efficiency measures of up to £10,000 per household.

Kwasi Kwarteng: We estimate that more than 600,000 homes overall will receive measures through the scheme. The scheme is demand led and is expected to support a significant number of low income households.

Social Rented Housing: Energy

Neil Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the summer economic update, if he will provide a breakdown of the allocation of £50 million into the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund and its demonstrator project.

Kwasi Kwarteng: The manifesto committed to improving people’s homes, to accelerate our progress towards net zero emissions by 2050 and to help families reduce their energy bills. This commitment included the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund with £3.8bn over a ten-year period and the £50m demonstrator fund is a down payment on the £3.8bn. The Summer Economic Update announced £50m to demonstrate innovative approaches to retrofitting social housing at scale, accelerating the delivery of the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund envisaged by the manifesto. This will mean warmer and more energy efficient homes and could reduce annual energy bills by hundreds of pounds for some of the poorest households in society, as well as lowering carbon emissions. The programme will be UK-wide and funding will be allocated competitively. The Government remains committed to decarbonising buildings to keep us on track to reach net zero emissions by 2050. This demonstrator project is a short-term investment to learn lessons and innovate for the main scheme, allocations for which will be determined at the forthcoming Spending Review in the Autumn.

Hydrogen

Ben Lake: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the hydrogen strategies published by (a) Germany, (b) Denmark and (c) the European Commission.

Kwasi Kwarteng: The Government is committed to the development of hydrogen as a strategic decarbonised energy carrier. We are closely monitoring international hydrogen developments and participate in a range of international fora, including the International Partnership for Hydrogen for Fuel Cells in the Economy, Mission Innovation and Clean Energy Ministerial. These forums offer opportunities to discuss international activity on hydrogen, including strategies put forward by Germany, Denmark, and the European Commission. This contributes to understanding of, for example, respective drivers for interest, levels of ambition, innovation priorities and policy support frameworks. This is informing our own strategic approach to the development of hydrogen in the UK context, including opportunities for partnership and economic benefit.

Hydrogen

Ben Lake: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to support the development of sustainable hydrogen production facilities.

Kwasi Kwarteng: The Government is committed to exploring the option of hydrogen as a strategic decarbonised energy carrier. In line with this we are currently investing up to £121 million in hydrogen innovation, supporting a range of projects exploring the production and potential of low carbon hydrogen across the value chain. This includes a £33 million Hydrogen Supply programme that is supporting development of low and zero carbon hydrogen supply solutions. A mixture of hydrogen production technologies will be required to help reach our net zero target, and the learning provided from these programmes will be key. In addition, we are developing sustainable business models to support hydrogen production and will be engaging with Industry on the £100m Low Carbon Hydrogen Fund later this year.

Coronavirus: Research

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what funding his Department has (a) made available and (b) been allocated to model the transmission of the covid-19 virus in (i) air and (ii) water.

Amanda Solloway: UK Research and Innovation has made several awards for studies on the transmission of COVID-19 through the UKRI open call as well as through the joint DHSC-UKRI Rapid Response Rolling call. This includes a £0.3million project led by Public Health England, to study how SARS-CoV-2 can be transmitted, by determining how long SARS-CoV-2 can survive in the air and on different types of surfaces (for example, those found in the healthcare, domestic and community settings) under controlled environmental conditions (a range of temperatures and humidities) representative of those found in different settings and countries. The UKRI open call is still open for applications and has so far funded 140 projects worth £41million. A full list of COVID-19 related funding is available on the UKRI website and is updated weekly.

Department of Health and Social Care

Protective Clothing: Social Services

Ben Lake: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will update the Covid-19: Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Plan, published on 10 April 2020, to state that care providers in Wales and Scotland may be supplied with PPE.

Jo Churchill: Holding answer received on 27 April 2020



The Government’s Personal Protective Equipment is United Kingdom-wide, making sure that frontline workers in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland all have the PPE they need to stay protected while taking care of patients. We are working closely with the devolved administrations to co-ordinate the distribution of PPE across the UK.We continue to prioritise ensuring that the National Health Service and social care sector have the equipment and support they need. The safety of all frontline staff is our top priority.

Protective Clothing: Procurement

Rachel Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate the Government has made of the number of items of personal protective equipment that will be procured for use in the UK by the end of April.

Jo Churchill: The combined DIT, FCO and DHSC efforts have resulted in DHSC ordering over 28.7 billion items of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), direct from new relationships with suppliers in source countries; and to build up UK manufacturing this includes signed contracts to manufacture over 2 billion items of PPE through UK-based manufacturers.The Government has rapidly processed over 24,000 cases from over 15,000 suppliers to ensure they meet the safety and quality standards that our NHS staff need, as well as prioritising offers of larger volumes. The Government has so far actively engaged with over 99% of the companies that have offered PPE and has contracted with over 175 new suppliers able to deliver at the scale and pace the UK requires.

Health Professions: Protective Clothing

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions he has had with (a) medical and nursing unions and (b) professional bodies on what action staff who do not have adequate personal protective equipment to treat patients safely should take.

Jo Churchill: Public Health England (PHE) published guidance on PPE for health and social care workers. This was written and reviewed by all four UK public health bodies and informed by NHS infection prevention control experts. It is consistent with World Health Organisation (WHO) guidance. This guidance on PPE underwent consultation with the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, Royal College of Nursing, Royal College of Midwifes and the British Medical Association.The Government has published considerations for acute PPE shortages online. This highlighted the sessional use and reuse of PPE when there are severe shortages of supply; this did not replace the extant PPE guidance. This document was issued for emergency shortages and did not have a consultation.We are confident in the stocks and sources of supply of PPE to meet the needs of health and social care over the next 7 and 90 days. The National Supply Disruption Response (NSDR) operates a 24-hour helpline that can respond to emergency PPE requests.Two billion items of PPE have been delivered to NHS and social care staff across England since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak and almost 28 billion items of PPE have been ordered overall from UK-based manufacturers and international partners to provide a continuous supply in the coming months.

Coronavirus: Disease Control

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish the data his Department holds on the (a) prevalence rate, (b) R rate and (c) total number of infections assessed by the UK Government to be present in (i) France, (ii) Italy, (iii) Spain, (iv) Iran, (v) USA, (vi) China, (vii) Belgium (viii) Paris, (ix) Milan, (x) Brussels, (xi) Madrid, (xii) Tehran, (xiii) Wuhan, (xiv) Shanghai, (xv) Beijing, (xvii) New York City and (xvii) Brussels on (A) 1 January, (B) 1 February, (C) 1 March and (D) 1 April 2020.

Jo Churchill: Holding answer received on 11 May 2020



Public Health England does not hold prevalence rates or R rates for international countries.

Cancer: Charities

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if the Government will fund the salaries of frontline cancer charity workers who have been redeployed from cancer care to tackling covid-19.

Jo Churchill: In instances where NHS Providers have called upon non-National Health Service organisations for their staff to be deployed to an NHS service, it would be expected that the contracting body will pay back the organisation accordingly and claim that money as a reasonable additional cost in their cost collection exercise.

Protective Clothing: Coronavirus

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many new suppliers of personal protective equipment  based (a) in the UK and (b) overseas have been added to the NHS lists in the last two months.

Jo Churchill: Lord Deighton is leading the Government effort to expand supply of personal protective equipment (PPE) from overseas and improve domestic manufacturing capability.We are working with over 175 new suppliers to deliver PPE at the scale and pace the United Kingdom requires. This includes signed contracts for over 2 billion items of PPE through 31 UK-based manufacturers, including facemasks, visors, gowns and aprons, ensuring we build and maintain a domestic base for the future.Almost 28 billion items of PPE have been ordered overall from UK-based manufacturers and international partners to provide a continuous supply in the coming months.

Coronavirus: Protective Clothing

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many items of personal protective equipment purchased since the start of the covid-19 outbreak have had to be disposed of because they do not meet safety standards for use in the UK.

Jo Churchill: An important customer alert was issued on 26 June regarding a product fault with some Cardinal Health Type IIR Masks.Personal protective equipment (PPE) which has not met safety standards is currently being analysed and nothing has been disposed of yet.All PPE procured from abroad that arrives at the Daventry warehouse is checked. If it is not CE marked then documents are sent to the United Kingdom regulators, the Health and Safety Executive and Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, who agree to its release as the Market Surveillance Authorities for PPE and medical devices. Products are only released into the supply chain if the documents show the product is fit for its intended use.

NHS and Social Services: Protective Clothing

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many days supply for the NHS and care workers will be provided by the 70 million FFP2 and FFP3 face masks being procured from Honeywell’s site in Newhouse, North Lanarkshire.

Jo Churchill: Holding answer received on 02 June 2020



Rates of usage vary over time and across different sectors of health and social care. We therefore cannot specify the number of days’ supply that will be provided by the 70 million FFP2 and FFP3 face masks provided by Honeywell.However, we are confident in the stocks and sources of supply of personal protective equipment to meet the needs of health and social care over the next seven and 90 days.

Coronavirus: Protective Clothing

Dame Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what was the cost to the public purse of substandard personal protective equipment from Turkey and China during the covid-19 outbreak.

Jo Churchill: There will be no cost to the National Health Service of any personal protective equipment arriving from Turkey which did not meet the necessary standards. All gowns which have arrived from China have passed quality control and are fit for use.

Protective Clothing: Safety

Bambos Charalambous: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps the Government has taken to introduce the sterilisation of respirators with hydrogen peroxide vapour to enable the safe re-use of single-use personal protection equipment.

Jo Churchill: Technical experts have been brought together by the United Kingdom Government from the Health and Safety Executive, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, the National Health Service, and devolved administrations to review the available evidence and undertake testing on the scientific feasibility of safely reusing certain types of personal protective equipment (PPE), to reduce plastic waste and improve sustainability of PPE. The expert committee is focused on the scientific validity and safety of different approaches to the decontamination and reuse of PPE, including the use of vaporised hydrogen peroxide for decontamination of FFP3 respirator masks.

HIV Infection and Hepatitis: Homelessness

Lloyd Russell-Moyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he will take to ensure homeless people diagnosed with HIV and HCV during the covid-19 outbreak are retained in clinical care.

Jo Churchill: NHS England are working across the National Health Service, public health and social care, local government and voluntary sector to ensure that people who are homeless, in particular those who are rough sleeping and have been provided with temporary accommodation to keep them safe during the COVID-19 outbreak, have a holistic health and care assessment as part of the planning for their longer term accommodation options.NHS England and NHS Improvement have issued operational guidance to support local areas on oversight and implementation of the health response for the rough sleeping population. They have also published a Clinical Homeless Sector Plan, which sets out clinical advice and guidance on delivering a health-led, multi-agency approach to reducing the risk of infection and severe illness among the homeless population.

Coronavirus: Ethnic Groups

Sir Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for what reason prior to the publication of the 2 June 2020 Public Health England report entitled Disparities on the risk and outcomes of COVID-19 a section was removed which included evidence from more than 1,000 organisations and individuals suggesting that discrimination and poorer life chances played a part in the increased risk of covid-19 among those with BAME backgrounds; and whether he plans to publish that section.

Jo Churchill: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Edmonton (Kate Osamor MP) on 1 July 2020 to Question 59534.

Family Planning: Coronavirus

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the effect of the response to the covid-19 outbreak on access to (a) contraception services and (b) abortion services; and what progress has been made on the development of (i) remote and (ii) digital access to those services.

Jo Churchill: Holding answer received on 15 June 2020



The Department and Public Health England (PHE) are working with local commissioners, the National Health Service and professional bodies including the Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare, to discuss emerging issues on sexual and reproductive services, including contraception, during the COVID-19 pandemic. PHE is also seeking to establish a national framework for online sexual and reproductive health services that local areas can choose to commission for their residents.The Department is carefully monitoring the impact of home administration of both sets of abortion medication during the COVID-19 pandemic. Officials have regular meetings with the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG), the Care Quality Commission and abortion service providers to discuss the impact and any issues arising. The RCOG has issued clinical guidelines for healthcare professionals on ‘Coronavirus infection and abortion care’.

Coronavirus: Disease Control

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department has taken to ensure that essential workers who visit the homes of people who are shielding from covid-19 (a) have access to personal protective equipment (PPE) and (b) wear PPE during those visits.

Jo Churchill: Holding answer received on 22 June 2020



The Government has updated its guidance for people who are shielding taking into account that COVID-19 disease levels have decreased over the last few weeks. People who are shielding remain vulnerable and should continue to take precautions but can now leave their home if they wish, as long as they are able to maintain strict social distancing.Any essential carers or visitors who support people who are shielding with their everyday needs can continue to visit unless they have any of the symptoms of COVID-19 (a new continuous cough, a high temperature, or a loss of, or change in, their normal sense of taste or smell). Essential carers should follow advice on good hygiene and should keep two metres away where close or personal contact is not required and where this is possible.

Influenza: Vaccination

Sir Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what amount of flu vaccine his Department (a) ordered in 2020 and (b) purchased in each of the last five years.

Jo Churchill: Public Health England (PHE) secures sufficient volume of flu vaccines used in the children’s flu programme to ensure that eligible children aged less than 18 years who present for vaccination can be offered an appropriate vaccine. Information on the number of doses procured by PHE is commercially sensitive.General practitioners and community pharmacists are directly responsible for ordering flu vaccine from suppliers which are used to deliver the national flu programme to all other eligible groups.In 2015/16 and 2019/20, around 400,000 doses of adult flu vaccine were procured as a contingency stock. We are currently considering stock levels for the 2020/21 season.

Coronavirus: Protective Clothing

Sarah Owen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what contingency steps his Department is taking to ensure an adequate supply of Personal Protective Equipment in the event of a second wave of infections of covid-19.

Jo Churchill: Holding answer received on 22 June 2020



There is a huge global demand for personal protective equipment (PPE), which is why we are both sourcing and shipping stock from abroad, alongside working with British manufacturers so we can be confident we can meet the PPE needs of health and social care over the next seven and 90 days.Lord Deighton is leading our national effort to buy and produce more PPE. We have signed contracts for over 2 billion items of PPE through United Kingdom-based manufacturers, including facemasks, visors, gowns and aprons, ensuring we build and maintain a domestic base for the future.

Protective Clothing: Birmingham City Council

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the accuracy of reports that Birmingham City Council was sent personal protective equipment (PPE) that was six years out of date; and whether his Department's policy is that date-expired PPE received by that Council is safe to use.

Jo Churchill: As part of the emergency personal protective equipment supply to support frontline services Birmingham City Council (BCC) accurately reported receiving 15,000 FFP3 masks with an expired date, via West Midlands & Warwickshire (WM&W) Local Resilience Forums (LRFs). It is correct that certification was not provided. Following reviewal however, WM&W LRFs were assured that the PPE was safe to use via a letter sent on 23 April. During the pandemic certain PPE items may have out-of-date, or relabelled ‘use by/expiration’ dates, but all issued products have passed stringent tests demonstrating their safety. During tests the PPE is exposed to extreme conditions for prolonged periods, to see how the product deteriorates. All items that are not up to standard are destroyed and not distributed.

Coronavirus: Ethnic Groups

Apsana Begum: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has to (a) improve the accessibility of health services to BAME communities, including to migrants and their families, and (b) mitigate the effects of the covid-19 lockdown so that existing health inequalities are not widened.

Jo Churchill: Anyone in England can register and consult with a general practitioner (GP) without charge. The GP practice must accept a patient wishing to register, unless there are reasonable grounds to refuse. These must not relate to race, gender, social class, age, religion, sexual orientation, appearance, disability or a medical condition. National Health Service guidance clearly outlines that a practice cannot refuse a patient because they do not have identification or proof of address.Primary Care Networks (PCNs) build on the core of current primary care services and enable greater provision of proactive, personalised, coordinated and more integrated health and social care for our communities. One of the PCN service specifications is to ‘Tackle Health Inequalities’ which will be introduced in 2021/22 following negotiation with the General Practitioners Committee, England.

NHS and Social Services: Procurement

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 12 June 2020 to Question 48563 on NHS and Social Services: Protective Clothing, what the timeframe is for the delivery of the 2 billion items of personal protective equipment.

Jo Churchill: Holding answer received on 23 June 2020



We are confident in the stocks and sources of supply of personal protective equipment (PPE) to meet the needs of health and social care over the next seven and 90 days.The global PPE market remains challenging and we are continuing to sign further deals to make our position more secure.

Pharmacy: Prescription Drugs

Chris Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when the assessment of new and pending applications to the NHS England and Wales Drug Tariff will resume.

Jo Churchill: The assessment of new and pending applications to the Drug Tariff has been suspended temporarily, to manage staff resource during the COVID-19 pandemic. A date for the resumption of the application assessment process has not yet been agreed.This suspension is reviewed regularly to inform when the assessment process will resume.

Pharmacy: Prescription Drugs

Chris Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what criteria his Department will use to prioritise the backlog of outstanding applications created by the suspension of Part IX of the NHS England and Wales Drug Tariff.

Jo Churchill: Applications to Part IX of the Drug Tariff will be reviewed in receipt order, with the earliest applications reviewed first, when the process resumes.If an application is for a product that helps in the treatment of COVID-19 then it would be considered outside of the normal review process.

Eyesight: Testing

Sir Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many eye tests have been carried out by opticians in each month of 2020.

Jo Churchill: Data is not available in the format requested.

Cervical Cancer: Screening

Sir Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the number of women who did not have a smear test which was due during the covid-19 lockdown; and if he will make a statement.

Jo Churchill: We do not hold data on the number of estimated screens per month. Information on cervical screening uptake rates is published quarterly by NHS Digital and can be found on its website at the following link:https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/cervical-screening-programme/cervical-screening-programme-coverage-statistics-management-informationThe last available data, published 21 April 2020, pertains to Q3 2019-20. The next set of data (Q4 2019-20) will be published in July 2020.NHS England and NHS Improvement are aware that in some areas some providers of NHS Cervical Screening Programme services have, for operational reasons and to minimise risk to patients during the COVID-19 pandemic, rescheduled some invitations or appointments to a later date. NHS England and NHS Improvement have been working with them to ensure this is managed safely for patients and with a view to rescheduling as soon as possible.

Coronavirus: Disease Control

Dame Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make it his Department's policy to publish regional R rates at the Government's daily covid-19 update.

Jo Churchill: There is no plan to publish regional R numbers at the Government daily COVID-19 updates because they have now come to an end.Estimates of R are produced on a weekly basis and published by the Government Office for Science. The current range of R for the United Kingdom and NHS England regions are available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-publishes-latest-r-number

Blood Cancer: Medical Treatments

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure blood cancer patients can access chemotherapy and systemic anti-cancer therapies (a) safely and (b) in a timely manner during the covid-19 outbreak.

Jo Churchill: Holding answer received on 25 June 2020



A range of guidance has been published during the COVID-19 outbreak to support the safe delivery of cancer treatments. This includes chemotherapy and other systemic anti-cancer therapies which is the subject of a National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) Rapid Guideline. NHS England has funded 13 additional treatment options in lymphoma and leukaemia for clinicians and patients to consider in the management of haematological malignancy in order to reduce the risk of infection with COVID-19.

Coronavirus: Ethnic Groups

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the disproportionate effect on BAME communities of covid-19 in (a) Newport West, (b) Wales and the (c) UK.

Jo Churchill: Holding answer received on 29 June 2020



As healthcare is devolved, the Welsh Government would be responsible for such an assessment in relation to Wales. The Office for National Statistics release ‘All data related to Coronavirus (COVID-19) related deaths by ethnic group, England and Wales’ only provides the combined ethnic group breakdown for England and Wales combined. Unfortunately, the breakdown for this data is not available for comparison. This release is available at the following link:https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/deaths/articles/coronavirusrelateddeathsbyethnicgroupenglandandwales/2march2020to10april2020/relateddata

Gender Recognition

Jackie Doyle-Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people the NHS Gender Identity Development Service at the Tavistock Centre referred to an endocrinologist in each of the last three years; and what the (a) age and (b) gender was of those those people .

Jo Churchill: This information is not available in the format requested.

Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust: Gender Recognition

Jackie Doyle-Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps the NHS Gender Identity Development Service at the Tavistock Centre is taking to amend its services as a result of the updated guidance on the treatment of Gender Dysphoria published on 28 May 2020.

Jo Churchill: NHS England is currently undertaking a planned review of the Gender Identity Development Service for Children and Young People. The review will be informed by the outcome of work currently being led by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, which has been asked to establish the clinical and academic evidence that will inform a review of the use of hormone treatments.The Gender Identity Development Service will continue to work to NHS England's current service specification and clinical commissioning policy during the period of review. Any proposals to amend the current service specification or clinical commissioning policy will be subject to public consultation in accordance with NHS England's established method and processes.

Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust: Labour Turnover

Jackie Doyle-Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he has taken to tackle the level of staff turnover in the GIDS Unit of the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust since 2018.

Jo Churchill: Workforce issues are dealt with at local level by the management boards of individual trusts.

Stem Cells: Transplant Surgery

Mark Tami: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the number of stem cell transplant patients on the Shielded Patients List.

Jo Churchill: No estimate has been made. People who have had stem cell transplants are not separately identifiable on the Shielded Patients List.

Bowel Cancer: Screening

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to extend bowel cancer screening to people aged 50 and over.

Jo Churchill: In the NHS Long Term Plan, the Government committed to modernising the NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme to detect and treat more cancers earlier by lowering the starting age for bowel screening from 60 to 50, following the UK National Screening Committee’s recommendation in August 2018.NHS England and NHS Improvement and Public Health England agree that a phased approach is required to safely introduce this change, allowing capacity and resources (financial, facilities and accredited workforce) to be built into the system. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, NHS England and NHS Improvement are currently undertaking detailed modelling to assess endoscopy capacity and demand within the Bowel Cancer Screening Programme, which will inform decisions about the timing and implementation of the age extension.

Cancer: Medical Treatments

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people have had systemic cancer therapy at home in each of the last three years.

Jo Churchill: This information is not held centrally.

Huntington's Disease

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people have been diagnosed with Huntington's disease in the last 12 months.

Jo Churchill: The Department does not hold information on how many people have been diagnosed with Huntington's disease in the last 12 months.The Government is committed to improving the lives of those affected by rare disease and continues to implement the commitments made in the UK Strategy for Rare Diseases.

Healthy Start Scheme: Coronavirus

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what he steps he is taking to accelerate online access to the NHS Healthy Start scheme in order to improve access to healthy food for pregnant women and young children in low-income families during the covid-19 outbreak; and if he will make a statement.

Jo Churchill: We are currently developing a digital approach to Healthy Start, which will make it easier for families to apply for, receive and use Healthy Start benefits. During the COVID-19 outbreak, we have made a number of changes to assist beneficiaries of the Healthy Start Scheme, such as the removal for the requirement for a healthcare professional signature on the Healthy Start application form. This supports people to apply for the scheme and reduces pressure on healthcare professionals. All families who are eligible for Healthy Start continue to receive an invitation to apply for the scheme, together with a pre-populated application form. In addition, we have temporarily extended the validity period of three sets of Healthy Start vouchers, from eight weeks to 12 weeks, and will keep this under review.

Healthy Start Scheme

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish a timetable for the digital rollout of the NHS Healthy Start scheme in order for local health authorities to plan to support applicants during the rollout period; and if he will make a statement.

Jo Churchill: The NHS Business Services Authority is delivering the project to digitise the Healthy Start Scheme. As part of the project the NHS Business Services Authority holds monthly showcase events for stakeholders, this includes representatives from National Health Service trusts and local authorities. The NHS Business Services Authority will continue to communicate with all appropriate stakeholders in advance of each stage of the rollout of the digital project.The project is due to begin the private beta phase later this year, followed by a public beta phase starting in early 2021, where new applicants will be able to apply for and use the digital service. The NHS Business Services Authority will also transfer beneficiaries who currently receive the paper-based voucher onto the new digital service from early 2021.

Healthy Start Scheme: Coronavirus

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the effect of community and health service closures due to the covid-19 outbreak on people's access to paper vouchers used for the NHS Health Start scheme; and if he will make a statement.

Jo Churchill: In response to the COVID-19 outbreak, we have made a number of changes to assist beneficiaries in applying for the Healthy Start Scheme and using their Healthy Start vouchers. This includes the removal for the requirement for a healthcare professional signature on the Healthy Start application form. This supports people to apply for the scheme and reduces pressure on healthcare professionals. All families who are eligible for Healthy Start continue to receive an invitation to apply for the scheme, together with a pre-populated application form. In addition, we have temporarily extended the validity period of three sets of vouchers, from eight weeks to 12 weeks, and will keep this under review.

Rare Diseases: Patients

Bob Blackman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the UK strategy for rare diseases: implementation plan for England published on 29 January 2018, what progress the Government has made on working with providers to produce alert cards for patients with rare diseases; and whether people with thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) will be included in the list of those eligible to receive an alert card.

Jo Churchill: In 2019, NHS England identified those specialised services in which patients with rare diseases are treated and asked the 150 providers that deliver these services to self-assess against three key criteria: care coordination; alert cards; and transition. In total, 1,000 clinical teams undertook the assessment and the completion rate was 85%. Of those providers that self-assessed: 91% confirmed that there is a person responsible for coordinating the care of any patient with a rare disease; 56% confirmed that they gave each person an alert card; and 91% confirmed that they had active transition in place.Alert cards are already used in some hospitals that treat patients with thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura. NHS England is currently in the process of commissioning a service for patients with thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura. Once a full, national service is established, an alert card will be rolled out across the service.

Obesity

Wera Hobhouse: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions Public Health England has had with (a) eating disorder professionals and (b) representatives from eating disorder charities on tackling obesity.

Jo Churchill: Public Health England (PHE) works with appropriate organisations to develop campaigns that promote healthy eating, for example Start4Life, Change4Life and One You.PHE has recently met with the Royal College of Psychiatrists and Obesity UK.

Rare Diseases: Medical Treatments

Bob Blackman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the findings of the 2017 Office for Health Economics report entitled Comparing Access to Orphan Medicinal Products in the United Kingdom and other European countries, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that people with rare diseases can access the latest treatments.

Jo Churchill: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) issues guidance for the National Health Service on whether drugs and other treatments represent an effective use of NHS resources through its technology appraisal (TA) and highly specialised technologies (HST) programmes, including drugs for patients with rare diseases. 86% of NICE’s TA recommendations, and 100% of its HST recommendations, for orphan drugs have been positive since 2013.Through the Early Access to Medicines Scheme, we are already making important drugs available to patients. So far around 1,500 patients have benefited from the scheme, which enables drugs to be used in clinical practice in parallel with later stages of the regulatory process.

Public Health: Finance

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the covid-19 outbreak, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the level of public health funding.

Jo Churchill: Holding answer received on 06 July 2020



The public health grant to local authorities is £3.279 billion in 2020-21. This is in addition to what the National Health Service spends on public health, which included over £1.3 billion in 2019-20 on national public health programmes such as immunisations and screening.The Government has also provided £3.7 billion of additional funding for local government to help them respond to COVID-19 pressures across the services they deliver. Local authorities will take spending decisions based on local priorities, and the Government is keeping the position under review. Funding beyond 2020-21 will be set out at the next spending review.

General Dental Council: Coronavirus

Royston Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the work of the General Dentistry Council during the covid-19 outbreak.

Jo Churchill: The General Dental Council (GDC) is the body responsible for the regulation of dentists and dental care practitioners in the United Kingdom and is independent of Government.The GDC’s Council sets the organisation’s strategy and monitors its effectiveness and efficiency on an ongoing basis. The GDC published its Annual Report and Accounts for 2019 on 18 June 2020. Alongside the retrospective view of the GDC’s performance, in light of the impact of COVID-19, updated information was provided where appropriate.The Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care (PSA) carries out annual reviews of all the healthcare statutory regulators. The PSA will shortly be undertaking the next review of the GDC for the period 2019-20 with a view to publishing its report later this year. The review will take account of the GDC’s response to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Hospitals: Protective Clothing

Gill Furniss: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the effect on the health of hospital workers of the mandated wearing of face masks for extended periods; and what steps he is taking to ensure that the health of those workers is maintained while wearing those masks.

Jo Churchill: Holding answer received on 06 July 2020



The Government has published clear guidelines on helping to prevent facial skin damage beneath personal protective equipment (PPE), which can be found in the NHS England Health and Safety section online. These guidelines state the importance of keeping the skin clean and well moisturised before applying PPE and using skin protectants if individuals will be wearing PPE for extended periods. More detailed information around optimising the correct fit of masks is also included. For example, if the mask is digging in, it is advised to move away from direct patient contact and remove the mask - using doffing guidance - and allow the skin to recover for approximately five minutes. Individuals are encouraged to inspect skin for signs of redness or soreness and take regular breaks (we recommend every two hours), from wearing a mask to relieve the pressure, and reduce moisture build-up. Where possible, staff should rotate in teams where PPE can be removed between clinical shifts. This will help allow the skin time to recover.

Protective Clothing: Manufacturing Industries

Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he is taking steps with UK manufacturers to ensure that the country is self-sufficient in PPE production and supporting British enterprises; and if he will make a statement.

Jo Churchill: Lord Deighton is leading the Government effort to unleash the potential of British industry to manufacture personal protective equipment (PPE) for the health and social care sectors to create self-sufficient production of PPE for the United Kingdom. We are building up UK manufacturing with signed contracts to manufacture over 2 billion items of PPE through UK-based manufacturers, including facemasks, visors, gowns and aprons.This includes Survitec, a survival technology company, who began producing gowns at the beginning of June; Bolle, who manufacture protective eyewear, will make 6.5 million visors over the course of the pandemic; Jaguar Land Rover are now manufacturing 14,000 visors/week for healthcare staff; Don & Low will be manufacturing 12 million metres squared of fabric for gowns over the next six months, with the first delivery expected later this month; Burberry is manufacturing non-surgical gowns at its factory in Castleford and sourcing masks through its supply chain. To date, the company has donated over 100,000 pieces of PPE to the National Health Service and healthcare charities.

Cancer: Health Services

Christian Wakeford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate his Department has made of the number of patients  affected by the backlogs in cancer (a) screening, (b) diagnostic tests and (c) other treatments that have accrued as a result of the covid-19 outbreak.

Jo Churchill: The UK National Screening Committee is undertaking work to estimate the impact of temporary suspension to screening programmes, including cancer screening. This work is currently in its early stages and the results will be reported as soon they are available.The National Health Service has continued to provide urgent and emergency services throughout the outbreak and has run the ‘Open for Business’ media campaign to encourage people with potentially serious health issues, such as cancer, to continue to seek medical advice and attend essential appointments. Cancer Alliances and Cancer Hubs have identified (COVID-19 free) surgical and diagnostic capacity to meet demand for cancer services and treatments at this time.

Obesity: Children

Dr Lisa Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress the Government has made on implementing the actions it set out in (a) Chapter 1 published in August 2016 and (b) Chapter 2 published in June 2018 of its Childhood obesity: a plan for action; and what the timelines are for the full implementation of those actions.

Jo Churchill: We have seen important successes since publication of the first chapter of the childhood obesity plan in 2016 including the average sugar content of drinks subject to the soft drinks industry levy decreasing by 28.8% between 2015 and 2018, and significant investment being made in schools to promote physical activity and healthy eating. As part of delivering key measures outlined in chapter two of the plan, published in 2018, we have held consultations on ending the sale of energy drinks to children, calorie labelling in the out-of-home sector, restricting promotions of high fat, sugar and salt foods by location and by price, further advertising restrictions on television and similar protection online, and updating the nutrition standards in the Government Buying Standards for Food and Catering Services. We will be setting out our responses as soon as we can.

Coronavirus: Disease Control

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that people who are (a) clinically vulnerable, (b) clinically extremely vulnerable and (c) over-70 receive clear and targeted messages during the covid-19 outbreak to ensure that they (i) know which group they fall into and (ii) are well-informed about the Government guidance on shielding and social distancing for that group.

Jo Churchill: Holding answer received on 06 July 2020



The advice for people aged 70 and over, and those who are clinically vulnerable remains unchanged - to stay at home as much as possible, taking particular care to minimise contact with others. Government guidance is clear as to who falls into this group.People who are clinically extremely vulnerable were placed on the shielding list and were advised by letter to stay at home until the end of June. This has now been reviewed, and advice to those who are shielding in two stages, to take effect from 6 July and 1 August. Support for those shielding will continue to the end of July so that people can plan for these changes.This is all set out clearly in the Government guidance. If incidence does not rise this guidance will be updated on 1 August. The guidance is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/staying-alert-and-safe-social-distancing

Health: Employment

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when his Department plans to publish a response to the consultation, Health is Everyone’s Business: proposals to reduce ill health-related job loss, which closed on 7 October 2019.

Jo Churchill: Holding answer received on 06 July 2020



We plan to publish the response to the consultation ‘Health is everyone’s business: proposals to reduce ill health-related job loss’ later this year.

Coronavirus: Screening

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to covid-19 being a notifiable disease, what the limitations are on data sharing with local authorities of the personal information of people who test positive for covid-19.

Jo Churchill: Holding answer received on 06 July 2020



Public Health England is making available to all local authorities in England information on positive tests for COVID-19. This information is being released under a data sharing contract for use in accordance with the COVID-19 purposes specified in the Regulation 3(4) notice issued by the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care.

Nurses: Schools

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans the Government has to recruit additional school nurses.

Jo Churchill: From April 2013, local authorities have been responsible for public health locally, including commissioning public health services for school aged children in their area. This includes school nursing services.Local authorities should assess the health needs of their populations and commission the appropriate school nursing services. Local authorities will determine the school nursing numbers depending on need. This will be underpinned by robust workforce plans.

Exercise Cygnus

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether a Pandemic Concept of Operations was produced following Exercise Cygnus.

Jo Churchill: Holding answer received on 07 July 2020



The United Kingdom Government’s Concept of Operations describes how the Government response to civil emergencies will be organised, and the relationship between central, regional and local tiers in England. Following Exercise Cygnus, a cross-Government work programme was established to improve plans for the use of information in a flu pandemic. This work builds upon the current UK Government Concept of Operations, specifically for pandemic influenza. The lessons learned from Exercise Cygnus continue to be considered by Government, and have been shared with a range of stakeholders, to ensure that the UK remains well-prepared for infectious disease outbreaks.

Department of Health and Social Care: Protective Clothing

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the value was of his Department’s stockpile of personal protective equipment in each year since 2010.

Jo Churchill: Holding answer received on 07 July 2020



The management of the pandemic influenza preparedness stockpile was transferred from the Department to Public Health England (PHE) when it was formed on 1 April 2013.The value of the personal protective equipment stockpile held with PHE in preparedness for an influenza pandemic has been approximately £80 million in each financial year since April 2013.

Tobacco: Sales

Sir Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps the Government is taking to help ensure that tobacco companies are complying with the prohibition on the sale of menthol cigarettes under the EU Revised Tobacco Products Directive; and if he will make a statement.

Jo Churchill: Holding answer received on 07 July 2020



We expect the tobacco industry to comply with the requirements of The Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016 (TRPR), and this includes the recent ban on the sale of menthol flavoured cigarettes. A breach of the regulations could result in enforcement action taken.The Government has a commitment to review TRPR as part of its post-implementation review process by May 2021.

Genito-urinary Medicine

Lloyd Russell-Moyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress has been made on the national sexual health and reproductive health strategy; and if he will make a statement.

Jo Churchill: Preliminary work on developing the national sexual and reproductive health strategy began in autumn 2019. This work was paused during the COVID-19 pandemic. Now that we are moving forward with the Government’s COVID-19 recovery strategy, work on the national sexual health and reproductive health strategy will be restarting shortly.

Pharmacy: Prescription Drugs

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has been made of the effect of the suspension of Part IX of the NHS England and Wales Drug Tariff on patient access to the latest health (a) technologies and (b) innovations.

Jo Churchill: The assessment of new and pending applications to the Drug Tariff has been suspended temporarily, to manage staff resource during the COVID-19 pandemic.The Government has made no assessment on the impact of patient access to technologies or innovations during the suspension of the Part IX application process. Patient access to products already listed in Part IX is unaffected by the pause.This suspension is reviewed regularly to inform when the assessment process will resume.

Smoking

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps Public Health England is taking to enforce the ban on menthol cigarettes.

Jo Churchill: Holding answer received on 08 July 2020



The ban on characterising flavours such as menthol in cigarettes came into force on 20 May 2020. In advance of the ban, several tobacco companies launched new brands marketed at menthol smokers.Public Health England is the Competent Authority under the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016 responsible for testing and receiving notifications of tobacco products.If any products are tested and found to be in breach of the United Kingdom regulations, then they will be removed from the list of notified products for sale.

Contraceptives

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 1 July 2020 to Question 58066 on Contraceptives, what data his Department holds on prescribing rates for long-acting reversible contraception for each year since 2013-14.

Jo Churchill: Holding answer received on 08 July 2020



NHS Digital hold the sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services data. The data primarily covers contraceptive activity taking place at dedicated SRH services in England, as recorded in the sexual and reproductive activity dataset (SHRAD). The primary focus of the SHRAD collection is contraception.The data on prescribing rates for long-acting reversible contraception for each year since 2013-14 are published in ‘NHS Digital’s sexual and reproductive health services (contraception) – England: data tables’. Information on women using sexual and reproductive health services for contraception, by main method of contraception and age and contraceptive prescriptions dispensed in the community is attached. 



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Multiple Sclerosis: Medical Treatments

Chris Law: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will ask the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence to review the evidence behind its initial decision to reject siponimod for routine use to treat active secondary multiple sclerosis.

Jo Churchill: Holding answer received on 09 July 2020



The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) follows established methods and processes when developing its technology appraisals guidance and only publishes final guidance on the use of a drug after careful consideration of the evidence and consultation with stakeholders.The appraisal consultation document (ACD) on siponimod for treating secondary progressive multiple sclerosis is draft guidance and is currently subject to public consultation, allowing stakeholders and individuals to comment on the draft guidance so that their views can be taken into account. The ACD is not NICE's final guidance on a technology and the recommendations may change after consultation.The consultation has been running from 25 June to 5pm on 23 July 2020. The consultation can be found at the following link:https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/indevelopment/gid-ta10436/consultation/html-content-2

Department for Education

Department for Education: Energy

Sir Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much energy his departmental buildings have used in (a) each of the last five years and (b) 2020 to date.

Nick Gibb: The information on energy used by the Department for Education for the years 2015-16 to 2018-19 is available in the attached table. Information for 2019-20 is not available.



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Education: Coronavirus

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether his Department plans to allocate funding from the public purse for the provision of summer schools for children in the state sector during the 2020 summer holidays.

Nick Gibb: The Government have announced a universal catch-up premium of £650 million which will be shared between all state-funded primary, secondary, and special schools in England. This premium will be in addition to schools’ core budgets for the 2020/21 academic year.The universal catch-up premium has been set up to support schools to provide catch-up provision for those who need it most as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak. It is for schools to decide how to allocate it in the most effective way, as they will know best their specific needs.Provision could include, for example, intervention programmes, extra teaching capacity, access to technology and / or the provision of summer schools. The Education Endowment Foundation have published a COVID-19 Support Guide for Schools to make best use of this funding: https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/covid-19-resources/covid-19-support-guide-for-schools/. This includes advice on summer schools and links to the Teach First Toolkit that is specifically focussed on the provision of summer schools.In addition, the government has confirmed £9 million of funding to support Holiday Activity and Food programmes in 17 local authorities across England.A wide range of charities, youth and sports providers will also be offering developmental programmes for young people over the summer including, for example, the National Citizen Service (NCS). NCS will be providing a range of activities to further education colleges and schools over the summer and autumn to support young people develop life knowledge and re-engage with education.The Government understands the importance of holiday activities in providing opportunities that allow children to socialise and interact with others outside of their household whilst promoting their wellbeing. The Department for Education has therefore published guidance for providers of community activities, holiday and after-school clubs as well as other out-of-school provision for children over the age of 5, which sets out the protective measures that need to be in place to ensure that such settings can open as safely as possible.https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/protective-measures-for-holiday-or-after-school-clubs-and-other-out-of-school-settings-for-children-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak/protective-measures-for-out-of-school-settings-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak.Alongside this, the Department has published guidance for parents and carers on the precautions they should be taking if they are thinking of sending their child to any provision over the summer period.https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-for-parents-and-carers-of-children-attending-out-of-school-settings-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak/guidance-for-parents-and-carers-of-children-attending-out-of-school-settings-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak.

Music: Education

Dr Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether music teachers can undertake one-to-one instruction in (a) school and (b) home environments during the current phase of the easing of the covid-19 lockdown restrictions; and what guidance for the safe working of those music teachers is (i) available and (ii) in preparation.

Nick Gibb: One-to-one instruction, including in music, can take place in school and home environments, as long as the relevant guidance is followed. The Department published detailed guidance on 2 July for schools for all children and young people to return to full-time education from September 2020. This guidance provides schools, colleges and nurseries with the details needed to plan for a full return, as well as reassuring parents about what to expect for their children, this guidance can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak/guidance-for-full-opening-schools.The Department has also published guidance for community activities, holiday and after-school clubs, as well as other out-of-school provision for children over the age of five, which sets out the protective measures that need to be in place to ensure that such out-of-school provision can open as safely as possible. This guidance can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/protective-measures-for-holiday-or-after-school-clubs-and-other-out-of-school-settings-for-children-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak/protective-measures-for-out-of-school-settings-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak.More detailed guidance on music will be published shortly.The Government has also published specific guidance for people working out of the home, this can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/working-safely-during-coronavirus-covid-19/homes.

Schools: Coronavirus

Simon Baynes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what progress he is making on the reopening of schools during the covid-19 outbreak for eligible year groups.

Nick Gibb: The Government’s plan is for all pupils, in all year groups, to return to school full-time from the beginning of the autumn term. On 2 July we published guidance to help schools prepare for this. The guidance can be viewed at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak/guidance-for-full-opening-schools.From the 1 June, we have asked primary schools to welcome back children in nursery, Reception, year 1 and year 6, alongside the children of critical workers and vulnerable children of all ages. Where primary schools have capacity, they have the flexibility to choose to welcome back additional pupils. It is up to schools to decide which pupils to welcome back, based on their knowledge of their children and communities From 15 June, secondary schools have been able to invite year 10 and year 12 pupils (years 10 and 11 for alternative provision schools) back into school for some face-to-face support with their teachers to supplement their remote education. Primary and secondary schools also have the flexibility to invite pupils in other year groups in for a face-to-face meeting before the end of this term, where it would be beneficial. We have asked schools to ensure this happens in line with wider protective measures guidance, and guidance on the numbers of pupils permitted on-site at any one time. The daily national figures for the proportion of schools open to eligible year groups can be found at the following publication:https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/attendance-in-education-and-early-years-settings-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak. The data is collected from individual education establishments and the published figures include estimates for non-response.

Pupils: Coroanvirus

Simon Baynes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to support pupils’ mental health during the covid-19 outbreak.

Vicky Ford: We have been working closely with partners to provide resources and guidance to support and promote children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing during the COVID-19 outbreak. This includes signposting to resources on supporting and promoting mental wellbeing among the list of resources to help children to learn at home, which are available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-online-education-resources.We have encouraged schools to focus on pastoral support as more pupils return to school this term. Children in Reception, year 1 and year 6 are now able to return to primary school, and year 10 and year 12 pupils are able to receive face-to-face support at secondary school. Primary schools with capacity can bring back additional groups, in line with existing protective measures. We have also given schools the flexibility to have face-to-face ‘check-ups’ with all pupils during the summer term.The return to school is a key part of supporting the mental health and wellbeing of pupils, as in addition to providing more opportunities for physical activity, attendance at school allows social interaction with peers, carers and teachers, which benefits wellbeing. The department has now published detailed plans for all children and young people to return to full-time education from September. The guidance for schools is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak/guidance-for-full-opening-schools.We are working with the Department of Health and Social Care to put in place further specific support for school staff to understand the issues that pupils will face with their mental wellbeing. This includes training for teachers, such as a new module developed with clinical experts on how to teach about mental health in health education. More information is available here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/teaching-about-mental-wellbeing.Access to mental health support is more important than ever during the COVID-19 outbreak. NHS services remain open. Leading mental health charities are being supported to deliver additional services through the £5 million Coronavirus Mental Health Response Fund. During Mental Health Awareness Week, the government also announced that a further £4.2 million will be awarded to mental health charities, including the Samaritans, Young Minds, and Bipolar UK.All NHS mental health trusts have been asked to ensure that there are 24/7 open access telephone lines to support people of all ages. Public Health England and Health Education England have also developed advice and guidance for parents and professionals on supporting children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing, which is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-on-supporting-children-and-young-peoples-mental-health-and-wellbeing.In addition, children and young people can access free confidential support anytime from government-backed voluntary and community sector organisations either by texting SHOUT to 85258, or by calling Childline on 0800 1111 or The Mix on 0808 808 4994. Children and young people can also find online information on COVID-19 and mental health on the Young Minds website, which is available here: https://youngminds.org.uk/about-us/reports/coronavirus-impact-on-young-people-with-mental-health-needs/.

Schools: Coronavirus

Ben Bradley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many laptops have been (a) requested and (b) sent to Nottinghamshire schools to enable the completion of work during the covid-19 outbreak; and whether those laptops are sent directly to schools or to the local authority first.

Nick Gibb: The Government has committed over £100 million to support children in England to access remote education and online social care services, including by providing vulnerable and disadvantaged children with laptops, tablets and 4G wireless routers. We are providing laptops and tablets to vulnerable and disadvantaged children who would otherwise not have access and are preparing for examinations in year 10, receiving support from a social worker or are a care leaver. Where care leavers, children with a social worker at secondary school and children in year 10 do not have internet connections, we are providing 4G wireless routers for internet access.The Department has allocated devices to local authorities and academy trusts based on its estimates of the number of eligible children that do not have access to a device. Local authorities and academy trusts are best placed to prioritise children and young people who need devices.As of 30 June, over 200,000 laptops and tablets and over 47,000 4G wireless routers had been delivered or dispatched to local authorities and academy trusts. This information can be viewed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/laptops-tablets-and-4g-wireless-routers-progress-data. This includes 1,860 devices delivered to Nottinghamshire County Council, which is broken down as: 1,824 devices for children with social workers and care leavers, and 36 devices for disadvantaged year 10 pupils in local authority maintained schools. Academy trusts who have schools in Nottinghamshire have also received devices directly.

Overseas Students: Cyprus

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to ensure that the Government's decision to remove home student status from Cypriot students will not deter Cypriots from attending university and further education in the UK.

Michelle Donelan: International students make a vital contribution to UK universities. Our institutions thrive on being global institutions and will always be open to international students – this includes the thousands of highly valued Cypriot students, as well as EU students, who study at UK universities each year.The government will also be implementing the new graduate route in summer 2021 to support providers in attracting overseas students. This will allow international students in the UK who are on a Tier 4 visa at the time it is introduced the options to stay and work in the UK at any skill level for 2 years.EU citizens and their family members who start courses in England in the 2020/21 academic year or before will remain eligible for undergraduate and postgraduate financial support or an Advanced Learner Loan from Student Finance England as well as further education funding for students aged 19 and over for the full duration of their course provided that they meet the residency requirements.

Pupils: Internet

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many pupils eligible for pupil premium funding do not have internet connectivity in their home.

Vicky Ford: We have committed over £100 million to support remote education, including to support children who do not have access to the internet.Where care leavers, children with a social worker at secondary school and disadvantaged children in year 10 do not have internet connections, we have provided 4G wireless routers and six months of free data so that they can learn and access social services at home. As of 30 June, over 47,000 4G wireless routers had been delivered or dispatched to local authorities and academy trusts. This information can be viewed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/laptops-tablets-and-4g-wireless-routers-progress-data.The department has also launched a service to provide children and young people free access to BT Wi-Fi hotspots. 10,000 families are initially able to access the scheme. This offer is currently being piloted and will be rolled out across England in the coming months. We are currently working with BT to expand this offer to allow more children to access the internet through their network of BT Wi-Fi hotspots.Additionally, the department is working with the major telecommunications companies to improve internet connectivity for disadvantaged and vulnerable families. For families who rely on a mobile internet connection, mobile network operators are working to provide access to free additional data while the COVID-19 outbreak requires children to learn from home and more social care services are online.

Free School Meals and Pupil Premium

Margaret Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate he has made of (a) the number of eligible pupils who did not register for free schools meals and (b) the amount of pupil premium funding unclaimed by schools for those pupils in each financial year since the pupil premium was introduced.

Vicky Ford: There are currently over 1.4 million pupils eligible for and claiming a nutritious free school meal, saving families around £400 per year.We do not routinely collect information on the proportion of pupils that would be entitled to a free school meal but do not make a claim.We want to make sure as many eligible pupils as possible are claiming their free school meals and make it as simple as possible for schools and local authorities to determine eligibility. To support this, we:provide an Eligibility Checking System (ECS) to make the checking process as quick and straightforward as possible for schools and local authorities;have developed a model registration form to help schools encourage parents to sign up for free school meals; andprovide guidance to Jobcentre Plus advisers so that they can make Universal Credit recipients aware that they may also be entitled to wider benefits, including free school meals.With regard to pupil premium funding, it is not ‘claimed’ but is allocated to schools based on the numbers of pupils that are, or have been at any point over the last six years, recorded in the annual census as eligible for free schools meals.Counting the number of pupils who have claimed free school meals during the past six years has, since 2012-13, acted as a proxy for the level of economic disadvantage experienced by school populations. The pupil premium is not a personal budget for pupils and legally cannot be allocated where a claim for a free school meal has not been made. The pupil premium budget for each year is set based on a forecast of the number of pupils who will be recorded as eligible in the annual census, according to this measure. As pupils who do not claim a free school meal cannot be identified as eligible to attract pupil premium to their school, there is no ‘unclaimed’ (unallocated) pupil premium funding.

Overseas Students: EU Nationals

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to ensure that the Government's decision to remove home student status from EU students will not adversely affect UK universities income.

Michelle Donelan: As a consequence of EU exit, the UK will no longer have a justification to provide home fee status and student support to EU nationals. It is therefore right that EU students, other than those from Ireland, should in future be treated the same as other international students. Students from Ireland will be able to access student support on a reciprocal basis through the Common Travel Area arrangement. We now look forward to being truly open to the rest of the world. EU citizens and their family members starting courses in England in the 2020/21 academic year or before will remain eligible for undergraduate and postgraduate financial support for the duration of their course. International students make a vital contribution to UK universities. Our institutions thrive on being global institutions and will always be open to international students, including the thousands of highly valued EU students that study at UK universities each year. The government is committed to continuing to improve our UK’s world-class offer to international students, which is why we have announced the new graduate route, to be introduced in summer 2021. The graduate route will be simple and light-touch and will permit graduates at undergraduate and masters level to remain in the UK for 2 years and PhD graduates to remain in the UK for 3 years after they have finished their studies and to work or look for work at any skill level - a significant improvement in our offer. The UK’s new International Education Champion, Sir Steve Smith, will assist with opening up export growth opportunities for the whole UK education sector, which will include attracting EU students to UK universities. The government is also working alongside stakeholders to support students and the UK higher education (HE) workforce to manage the transition period. This involves working to solidify existing and establish important new global relationships and promoting an open and welcoming message to all international – EU and non-EU – students wishing to come to the UK to study at our world-class education institutions. The government has acted to help HE providers deal with the financial impacts of COVID-19 through the combination of the HE stabilisation package announced on 4 May which reprofiled public funding and introduced measures to stabilise admissions, the broader government-backed business support schemes and the research stabilisation package announced by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on 27 June.

Schools: Coronavirus

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to ensure that class rooms will be kept at sufficiently warm levels in winter months while simultaneously being effectively ventilated to prevent the spread of covid-19.

Nick Gibb: The Government has been clear that our plan is for all pupils, in all year groups, to return to school full-time from the beginning of the autumn term and on 2 July we published guidance to help schools prepare for this. The guidance can be viewed at:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak/guidance-for-full-opening-schools.This guidance advises schools to ensure there is good ventilation in classrooms and directs them to the Health and Safety Executive’s guidance on air conditioning and ventilation during the COVID-19 outbreak.Arrangements for ventilation will vary in each setting based on individual circumstances. As normal, schools will need to continue to ensure good ventilation during the winter heating period.

Members: Correspondence

Mr John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when he plans to respond to the correspondence of 2 April, 1 May, 28 May and 25 June 2020 from the hon. Member for Basildon and Billericay on Sunnymede Pre-school.

Nick Gibb: A response has been sent to the letters dated 2 April, 1 May, 28 May and 25 June 2020, from the hon. Member for Basildon and Billericay. A response was sent via email to the hon. Member on 16 July 2020.

Ministry of Justice

Ranby Prison

Paula Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many and what proportion of overtime hours worked by prison officers at HMP Ranby were compensated for with (a) time off in lieu and (b) overtime payments in each of the last six months.

Lucy Frazer: The data for the overtime hours taken by staff as time off in lieu can only be obtained by disproportionate cost. We would have to look at each individual staff record for the past six months to obtain this level of information.Table below shows the number of hours for which staff compensated with overtime payment in each of the last six months. Please note that this cost includes overtime hours completed for other establishments.MonthsJanuaryFebruaryMarchAprilMayJuneHours10981146352966395481.51745.75We are making special payments to all of our hard-working prison staff who are going above and beyond the call of duty during these exceptional times.

Ranby Prison

Paula Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many hours of time off in lieu staff at HMP Ranby have (a) accumulated and (b) been repaid in each of the last six months.

Lucy Frazer: The data regarding the accumulated hours worked by staff as time off in lieu is not held centrally. This information could only be obtained at disproportionate as all individual staff records would need to be scrutinised.The table below shows the number hours for which staff were paid overtime, or ‘Payment Plus’, in the last six months. Please note this cost includes overtime hours completed for other establishments.MonthJanuaryFebruaryMarchApril MayJuneHours10981146352966395481.51745.75We are making special payments to all of our hard-working prison staff who are going above and beyond the call of duty during these exceptional times.

Ranby Prison

Paula Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, on how many occasions staff at HMP Ranby have been ordered to extend scheduled shifts in each of the last six months.

Lucy Frazer: Fewer than five staff at HMP Ranby were ordered by the Governor to extend their scheduled shifts in the last six months.We cannot provide an exact figure where the true number falls between one and five. We believe that the release of some of this information would risk identification of the individuals concerned and it should not be assumed that the actual figure represented falls at any particular point within this scale; ‘five or fewer’ is used as a replacement value from which it would be difficult to isolate or extract any individual data.Staff in minus hours of their contractual working hours will be asked or, when necessary if they refuse, be ordered to extend their shift when there is a need to maintain safe and decent regimes.

Ranby Prison

Paula Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many FTE equivalent Band 3 prison officers there are at HMP Ranby; and what his Department's target is for staffing at that prison.

Lucy Frazer: The number of full time equivalent band 3 prison officers at HMP Ranby as at 31 March 2020 was 204.1.Governors now have the autonomy to determine staff numbers to best meet the needs of the prison, whilst keeping within the overall budgetary envelope. In August 2019, HMP Ranby had a significant increase in their band 3 prison officers, to help facilitate keyworker activity and improve safety and performance. The next HMPPS Workforce Bulletin can be accessed on this page when it is published on 20 August 2020 - https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/national-offender-management-service-workforce-statistics.

Ministry of Justice: Documents

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many of his Department's documents have been lost since 2017; and how many of those documents were deemed sensitive.

Alex Chalk: Information relating to departments reported lost are collated on a financial year basis rather than a calendar year. As you have requested for information since 2017, I am providing information beginning from the reporting year 2016/2017.Reporting of information relates to documents containing personal data rather than all documents. The department captures personal data loss incidents, these are broken down into the following categories:Loss or theft of information assets from secured government premisesLoss or theft of information assets from outside secure premisesInsecure disposal of inadequately protected electronic equipment, devices or paper documentsUnauthorised disclosureOtherWe do not capture the loss of documents according to the classification levels so these incidents include both official and sensitive data.Throughout this period the department has taken significant action to increase both awareness and reporting. This has led to an increase of both suspected and actual data breaches which is reflected in these figures.This information is already made publicly available through the department’s annual report, this also includes details of where the Information Commissioner's Office has been notified due to the incident. These reports are available for 2016/17, 2017/18, 2018/19. The annual report for 2019/20 is set for publication later this year.I have provided a copy of these reports for reference below.2018/19https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ministry-of-justice-annual-report-and-accounts-2018-to-2019 2017/18https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ministry-of-justice-annual-report-and-accounts-2017-18 2016/17https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ministry-of-justice-annual-report-and-accounts-2016-to-2017

Administration of Justice: Disclosure of Information

Mr Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the Answer of 24 June 2020 to the Question 60692, what assessment he has made of whether the two-year timescale in scheduling the legally mandated review of secret court proceedings remains in line with the requirement under the Justice and Security Act 2013 to conduct that review as soon as reasonably practicable after the end of the period to which the review relates.

Alex Chalk: I note the Rt. Hon. Member’s ongoing interest in this matter, and would reassure him that discussions are taking place at official level on the statutory review.The right to a fair trial is a fundamental part of our society and the Closed Material Procedures contain strong procedural and judicial safeguards.We will bring forward the statutory review as soon as possible.

Female Genital Mutilation Protection Orders

Holly Lynch: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many women and girls in the UK have an FGM protection order in place as at July 2020.

Holly Lynch: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many girls under the age of 18 in the UK have an FGM protection order in place as at July 2020.

Alex Chalk: The Ministry of Justice collates information on the number of applications and the number of FGM protection orders granted. There is no mandatory requirement to collate statistics on the duration of orders and whether they remain in place at any point in time. The quality of available data can only, therefore, be verified at disproportionate cost. However, following their introduction in July 2015, 584 FGM protection orders have been granted up to 31 March 2020, the latest period for which information is available.Similarly, data relating to the age of the person to be protected by an FGM protection order granted by the court is not collated and can only be obtained at disproportionate cost. Data relating to age is collated, however, on a person or persons named in any application for a FGM protection order. Following their introduction in July 2015, 405 applicants, aged 17 or under, had been the subject of an application for an FGM protection order up to 31 March 2020, the latest period for which statistics are available.Statistics to the end of June 2020 are scheduled for publication in late September, and statistics for July are scheduled for publication in late December.

Euthanasia

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will make it his policy to bring forward legislative proposals to allow assisted dying in appropriate circumstances.

Alex Chalk: It remains the Government’s view that any change to the law in this area is a matter for Parliament to decide and an issue of conscience for individual Parliamentarians rather than one for Government policy.Parliament has not so far voted to legalise assisted suicide in any circumstances.

Wills: Registration

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of making it a legal necessity to register wills similar to those requirements adopted by other countries.

Alex Chalk: There is no statutory requirement for will registration, but is it possible to deposit a will with HM Courts and Tribunals Service, and commercial will registration services are available.The imposition of a legal requirement to register wills may have a deterrent effect in terms of people making wills and lead to an increase in invalidated wills and contentious probate cases. The Law Commission analysed this issue in their 2017 consultation paper on the law of wills, and concluded that ‘the disadvantages of such a system would far outweigh its benefits’.The Government has no plans to reform this area of law at present.

Department for International Trade

Trade Agreements: Rules of Origin

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, if she will publish the differences in the rules of origin agreed between the (a) UK and third countries in continuity Trade Agreements and (b) EU/third country trade agreements; and if she will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, if she will publish the differences in the tariffs agreed between the (a) UK and third countries in continuity trade agreements and (b) EU/third country trade agreements; and if she will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, if she will publish the differences in the recognition of Authorised Economic Operators agreed between the (a) UK and third countries in continuity Trade Agreements and (b) EU/third country trade agreements; and if she will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, if she will publish the differences in the tariff free quotas agreed between the (a) UK and third countries in continuity Trade Agreements and (b) EU/third country trade agreements; and if she will make a statement.

Mr Ranil Jayawardena: The Continuity Trade Programme seeks to replicate, as far as possible, the effects of existing trade agreements when they no longer apply to the United Kingdom following the Transition Period. This includes ensuring that tariff rate quotas are resized to reflect historic usage and the United Kingdom’s share of EU trade. Reports have been laid before Parliament alongside each continuity trade agreement to explain our approach in securing continuity with each of our partners, now that the United Kingdom has left the EU. These reports are laid voluntarily, but we believe it is important for Parliament to be as informed as possible. If we have made any significant changes to the provisions of our existing agreements through entering into United Kingdom specific agreements, we have explained these changes in these reports. Textual changes are sometimes necessary to maintain maximum continuity of effect.

Trade Agreements: Investment

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, which continuity trade agreements contain (a) investor protection clauses; and which of those agreements include the potential for access to a separate tribunal to resolve investment disputes; and if she will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, if she will publish the continuity trade agreements that have been signed off that allow for increased movement of (a) personnel, (b) professionals and (c) business visitors; and if she will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, if she will publish the differences in the digital trade provisions agreed between the (a) UK and third countries in continuity trade agreements and (b) EU/third country trade agreements; and if she will make a statement.

Mr Ranil Jayawardena: The Continuity Trade Programme seeks to replicate, as far as possible, the effects of existing trade agreements when they no longer apply to the United Kingdom following the Transition Period. This includes ensuring that tariff rate quotas are resized to reflect historic usage and the United Kingdom’s share of EU trade. Reports have been laid before Parliament alongside each continuity trade agreement to explain our approach in securing continuity with each of our partners, now that the United Kingdom has left the EU. These reports are laid voluntarily, but we believe it is important for Parliament to be as informed as possible. If we have made any significant changes to the provisions of our existing agreements through entering into United Kingdom specific agreements, we have explained these changes in these reports. Textual changes are sometimes necessary to maintain maximum continuity of effect.

Trade Agreements: Dispute Resolution

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what her Department's policy is on the use of the Investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) mechanism.

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps she is taking to help suspend Investor-State dispute settlement cases against Governments in countries that are affected by the covid-19 pandemic.

Mr Ranil Jayawardena: The United Kingdom has already negotiated investment agreements with Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) provisions with over 90 trading partners. The precise details of any future Free Trade Agreement (FTAs) are a matter for formal negotiations, and we would not seek to pre-empt these discussions.HM Government recognises the important role that investment protections with ISDS can play in protecting British investors abroad – including pensioners across the country through their pension funds, and small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). Where ISDS is included in future agreements, we will seek to ensure fair outcomes of claims and high ethical standards for arbitrators, with increased transparency and efficiency of proceedings. The conduct of ISDS cases is a matter for the parties involved in the dispute and the arbitral tribunal responsible for the proceedings under the relevant international investment agreement. HM Government is not a party to any such proceedings.

Residues: Import Controls

Geraint Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that the UK will not accept imports (a) with higher Maximum Residue Levels than currently allowed and (b) with pesticide residues currently banned in the UK from countries with pesticide standards lower than the UK's, after the transition period.

Mr Ranil Jayawardena: The approach of HM Government to food standards in trade deals is clear. We remain firmly committed to upholding Britain’s high environmental, food safety and animal welfare standards. As we take back control of our laws from the EU, we will decide how we set and maintain our own laws, standards and regulations. When the Transition Period ends, we will be a global leader in environmental protection and animal welfare standards, maintaining the high-quality of our produce for consumers at home and overseas. Our current high standards, including on import requirements, will continue to apply after the end of the Transition Period. The 2018 Withdrawal Act will transfer all existing food safety provisions, including existing import requirements, onto the United Kingdom’s statute book.Our food standards, for both domestic production and imports, are overseen by the Food Standards Agency and Food Standards Scotland. These agencies provide independent advice to HM Government and the devolved administration in Scotland respectively. They will continue to do so, in order to make sure that all food imports – from any country – comply with the United Kingdom’s high standards.

Trade Agreements: Dispute Resolution

Owen Thompson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, if she will make it her policy not to negotiate, sign or ratify any future trade agreements that include investor state dispute settlement provisions.

Owen Thompson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, if she will take steps to renegotiate existing trade agreements allowing for the use of investor state dispute settlements (ISDS) to restrict their use in respect of covid-19 related claims.

Mr Ranil Jayawardena: The precise details of any future Free Trade Agreement (FTAs) are a matter for formal negotiations, and HM Government would not seek to pre-empt these discussions.The United Kingdom has investment agreements with Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) provisions with over 90 trading partners. HM Government recognises the importance of strengthening international investment in response to COVID-19, and the continuingly important role played by both investment protection and ISDS provisions in safeguarding British investors overseas, including pensioners across the country through their pension funds and small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs).Where ISDS is included in future agreements, we will seek to ensure fair outcomes of claims and high ethical standards for arbitrators. We are clear that HM Government and our treaty partners retain the right to regulate in the public interest, including for public health purposes, and this is already recognised under international law. There has never been a successful ISDS claim against the United Kingdom, nor has the threat of potential claims affected our legislation.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

English Language: Education

Naz Shah: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how much funding he plans to allocate to the ESOL programme in (a) 2020 and (b) each of the next five years.

Mr Simon Clarke: a The £5.1 million ESOL for Integration Fund is supporting 30 local authorities in 2020 / 21 to deliver English language sessions for residents with little or no English helping them to integrate more widely with the people, places and amenities in their local area.Through the Integration Area Programme we continue to fund Integration Areas to deliver English language classes in innovative ways to address local integration challenges – this is supporting communities to better integrate, participate fully in society and access the opportunities that life in modern Britain provides.Additionally, MHCLG funded resources to support organisations and individuals seeking to provide volunteer led English language clubs were recently published via the Learning and Work Institute website.b Subject to the Department’s future funding settlement we will explore how MHCLG funds ESOL provision beyond 20/21 at that point.

Industrial Health and Safety: Coronavirus

Claudia Webbe: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he plans to bring forward legislative proposals to strengthen the powers of local authorities to intervene in unsafe workplaces during the covid-19 outbreak.

Mr Simon Clarke: This is the policy responsibility of my Rt Hon Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Sleeping Rough: Coronavirus

Simon Baynes: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what progress he has made in finding accommodation for rough sleepers in North Wales during the covid-19 outbreak.

Luke Hall: Housing and sourcing accommodation for rough sleepers in Wales is a devolved matter.In England, almost 15,000 vulnerable people have been housed in emergency accommodation, including hotels, since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to returns from local authorities. This includes people coming in directly from the streets, people previously housed in shared night shelters and people who have become vulnerable to rough sleeping during the pandemic.

Local Government Finance: Coronavirus

Simon Baynes: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what support he is providing to help local authorities in North Wales experiencing a reduction in income during the covid-19 outbreak.

Mr Simon Clarke: Local government is a devolved matter, and therefore MHCLG do not engage directly with Welsh councils.

Leasehold

Karin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, when he plans to bring forward legislative proposals on (a) leasehold property and (b) the right to manage.

Luke Hall: The Government is committed to promoting fairness and transparency for homeowners and ensuring that consumers are protected from abuse and poor service. We are taking forward a comprehensive programme of reform to end unfair practices in the leasehold market. This includes measures to ban the sale of new leasehold houses, restrict ground rents to zero for future leases, give freehold homeowners equivalent rights to challenge unfair charges, and close loopholes to prevent unfair evictions.We are working with the Law Commission to simplify the process of leaseholders exercising their Right to Manage, so that it is easier for leaseholders to come together to take on responsibilities for the ownership of their property. They will be publishing their report on this shortly, alongside reports on enfranchisement and commonhold, and we will consider these and set out our proposed way forward in due course.Given the impact of Covid-19 on the legislative agenda, we will bring forward legislation on leasehold reform as soon as Parliamentary time allows.

Regulation of Property Agents Working Group

Karin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the final report of the Regulation of Property Agents Working Group, published July 2019, when he plans to bring forward legislative proposals to establish an independent regulator.

Christopher Pincher: The Government remains committed to raising professionalism and standards amongst property agents and is grateful for the final report of the independent Regulation of Property Agents working group, chaired by Lord Best. We welcome the recent appointment of Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town as the Chair of a new independent steering group on codes of practice for property agents as an important development towards ensuring all customers are treated fairly and all agents work to the same high standards. Though our collective efforts are currently focussed on the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we will respond to the report of Lord Best’s working group, setting out next steps, following careful consideration of its 53 recommendations, and we will consider any code produced by Baroness Hayter’s steering group in due course.

UK Shared Prosperity Fund

Stephen Farry: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what the timetable is for the consultation with key stakeholders on the UK Shared Prosperity Fund; when he plans to publish further details on the fund; and when the fund will be ready to accept applications.

Mr Simon Clarke: The Government will set out further plans for the Fund in due course, including at the CSR. The Spending review will create a multi-year, UK-wide Shared Prosperity Fund which will support local economic recovery by driving economic growth and tackling deprivation.Government officials have held engagement events with external stakeholders from a variety of sectors across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to discuss lessons learnt from past funding programmes and potential investment priorities for the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.Government officials have also held talks with their counterparts in the devolved administrations to ensure the fund works for places across the UK.

Letting Agents: Fees and Charges

Darren Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Answer of 9 July 2020 to Question 68414 on Letting Agents: Fees and Charges, what assessment he has made of (a) the potential inefficacy of the provisions in the Tenant Fees Act 2019 in relation to preventing office and administrative costs being (i) improperly, (ii) excessively and (iii) arbitrarily passed to tenants by lettings agents; and if he will bring forward legislative proposals to (b) stop the charging of those costs.

Christopher Pincher: The Tenant Fees Act 2019 bans unfair fees paid by tenants in the private rented sector in England. This includes most office or administration costs such as referencing, administration, inventory, renewal and check-out fees. Such fees are prohibited payments, and charging them to the tenant is a breach of the Tenant Fees Act.Letting agents or landlords that are found to have committed a breach of the Act will be liable for a £5,000 fine in the first instance, and if a further breach is committed within five years they will be liable for up to a £30,000 fine, as an alternative to prosecution. The Act is enforced by local enforcement authorities, normally trading standards, who are supported with advice and information by a lead enforcement authority.The Act created this new Lead Enforcement Authority to support action against rogue agents. The Secretary of State has appointed the National Trading Standards Estate and Letting Agency Team to this role, and has provided them over £1,000,000 per annum in funding since the Act came into force.The Government has no current plans to bring forward further legislation at this time.

Parking: Private Sector

Zarah Sultana: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what his timescale is for publishing a draft code of practice containing guidance about the operation and management of private parking facilities under the Parking (Code of Practice) Act 2019; and what plans he has for (a) consultation on that draft code and (b) implementation of a final code.

Mr Simon Clarke: We are currently working to implement the Parking (Code of Practice) Act 2019. The British Standards Institution (BSI) have convened a stakeholder group to write the Code, comprising representatives from the parking industry, consumer groups, standards bodies and the retail sector.Progress has been made in drafting the Code. It will be subject to a public consultation in the coming months, providing an opportunity for the parking industry, the public and other interested parties the opportunity give feedback. The precise dates of the consultation and the implementation of a final code will be announced in due course.

Ministry of Defence

Overseas Operations (Service Personnel and Veterans) Bill 2019-21

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his answer of 6 July to the oral question from the Hon. Member for Kingston Upon Hull West and Hessle, Official Report, Column 659, when the impact assessment for the Overseas Operations (Service Personnel and Veterans) Bill 2019-21 will be published.

Mr Ben Wallace: The Ministry of Defence has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Department for Work and Pensions

Social Security Benefits: Medical Assessments

Chris Stephens: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many assessments for (a) personal independence payments, (b) employment and support allowance and (c) the limited capability for work component of universal credit were scheduled to take place after 1 March 2020; and how many of those assessments have taken place.

Justin Tomlinson: Holding answer received on 15 June 2020



Our priority throughout this Covid-19 period continues to be to protect the public and staff, while ensuring people receive the benefits they are entitled to quickly and safely. We suspended face-to-face assessments, reviews and reassessments. We continue to assess people based on written evidence alone, where that is possible, and have introduced telephone assessments. We also automatically extended awards where necessary for certain health and disability benefits, providing reassurance to those in receipt of them. This action enabled us to prioritise activity on new claims and changes of circumstances. The number of assessments that were scheduled to have taken place between 1 March 2020 and 30 May 2020 and the number of assessments that took place during that time can be found in the table below:  Assessments ScheduledAssessments CompletedPIP187,700117,050ESA20,37014,500UC34,53019,890  Please note:Data has been rounded to the nearest 10.Figures do not include paper based reviews. PIPThe Assessments Scheduled data has been produced by the assessment providers (Capita and Independent Assessment Services).The Assessments Completed data is derived from unpublished contractual management information produced by the assessment providers which was collected for internal departmental use only and has not been quality assured to Official Statistics Publication standards. Face-to-face assessments for PIP were paused due to Covid-19 from 17 March 2020. Telephone assessments began a piloted roll out from 23 March 2020 for Capita and 03 April 2020 for IAS. ESA and UCFace-to-face assessments for UC and ESA were paused due to Covid-19 from 17 March 2020. Telephone assessments began a piloted roll out from 04 May 2020 where only Limited Capability for Work Related Activity recommendations were being made. The department continues to process both New Claims and Changes of Circumstance and encourage anyone with a change in their needs to contact the Department so that we can ensure they are receiving the correct level of support.

Health and Safety Executive

Claudia Webbe: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she plans to take to (a) adequately fund and (b) strengthen the powers of the Health and Safety Executive to support their proactive inspection of (a) premises occupied by the garment industry in Leicester and (b) other workplaces.

Mims Davies: HSE is funded to deliver its planned regulatory role and the government has made available up to an extra £14.19 million to support the provision of Covid-19 advice and additional regulatory activities. Under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, HSE has a sufficient range of powers to enforce health and safety law in the workplaces it regulates. HSE continues to regulate in areas of greatest risk and build capability for proactively inspecting workplaces across the country to target regions and industries where concerns of Covid-19 transmission are greatest.

Jobcentres: Staff

Neil Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Chancellor’s summer economic update of 8 July, whether her Department plans to distribute new work coaches to parts of the UK that are most affected by Jobcentre closures.

Mims Davies: Recruitment will be targeted based on local demand, plus current available and emerging estate space and Job Centre operating model changes.

Jobcentres: Staff

Neil Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions,  with reference to the Chancellor’s summer economic update of 8 July, what criteria her Department will use when allocating work coaches to different parts of the UK.

Mims Davies: Recruitment will be targeted based on local demand, plus current available and emerging estate space and Job Centre operating model changes.

Employment Schemes: Young People

Neil Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the HM Treasury 8 July 2020 policy paper entitled A Plan for Jobs 2020, what plans she has to support people through the expanded Youth Offer programme.

Mims Davies: Young people in particular can be at an additional disadvantage due to limited work experience. DWPs new youth offers will include a structured 13-week programme, during which they will be helped in their search for work and referred to the most appropriate support such as careers advice, a sector-based work academy, a traineeship, work experience, mentoring circles or an apprenticeship. Once they have completed this programme participants will be encouraged to take up work-related training or an apprenticeship. Young people who require further support will be referred to young people’s hubs and specialist employability coaches.

Universal Credit: Telephone Services

Kate Osamor: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 8 July 2020 to Question 42141 on Universal Credit: Telephone Services, what the average waiting time for has been for claimants calling the universal credit helpline in each week since 6 January 2020.

Will Quince: Individuals making a Universal Credit declaration from 16 March to 23 June stood at 3.2 million (3,240,570) The Average Speed of Answer for calls to Universal Credit in each week from 6th January 2020 is shown below in the format of hours:minutes:seconds. Week Commencing - 06/01/2020 0:04:0013/01/2020 0:03:3420/01/2020 0:03:0627/01/2020 0:02:1403/02/2020 0:03:3710/02/2020 0:03:3117/02/2020 0:03:4624/02/2020 0:02:5602/03/2020 0:03:1209/03/2020 0:03:3416/03/2020 0:16:5223/03/2020 0:43:0830/03/2020 0:44:0106/04/2020 0:29:3213/04/2020 0:15:1720/04/2020 0:23:0527/04/2020 0:21:4204/05/2020 0:10:3011/05/2020 0:07:2418/05/2020 0:04:3025/05/2020 0:06:2001/06/2020 0:02:3508/06/2020 0:01:5015/06/2020 0:01:4422/06/2020 0:02:3829/06/2020 0:03:54 The average waiting times change week on week and is demand led. To manage and improve increased waiting times due to the Coronavirus Pandemic, the Department implemented changes in processes in April and initiated a communication campaign to pro-actively call those with new claims. The Department also redeployed staff from non-business critical areas to front line delivery roles, made use of staff from other Government Departments, has recruited and continues to recruit significant numbers of new staff and has utilised contract and agency staff in certain roles. Average Speed of Answer measures the average customer wait time from the point of entering a queue to connection to an agent. This excludes any time spent in pre-queue messaging and any wait time for calls ultimately abandoned by callers.Source: BT Historical Management Information (HMI), Serco, Capita

Universal Credit: Terminal Illnesses

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent estimate she has made of the proportion of people making special rules for terminal illness claims for universal credit who are (a) unsuccessful and (b) told to apply for universal credit under standard rules.

Justin Tomlinson: The information requested could only be provided at disproportionate cost. Data exists in the system that would require matching across a number of data sets, which is a substantial piece of work. The required information is therefore not all readily available to analysts in a format that would enable them to undertake the analysis and quality assure the figures, to answer this PQ in the timescales.

Social Security Benefits

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will take steps to investigate the reasons for delays people may experience when obtaining (a) letters from GPs and (b) other supporting evidence when bringing forward appeals against a decision made by her Department relating to social security benefits.

Justin Tomlinson: Appeals against social security benefit decisions are lodged with and administered by HMCTS and as such, DWP is unable to answer questions related to obtaining evidence for appeals.

Social Security Benefits: Coronavirus

Matt Western: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what financial support her Department provides for extremely clinically vulnerable people advised by their health care teams to continue shielding during the covid-19 outbreak beyond 1 August 2020 and as a consequence are unable to work.

Justin Tomlinson: Where an individual is notified by their doctor or health service to continue to shield in cases of local lockdown and where shielding guidance is reinstated, they will be eligible for ESA or SSP. If an individual is no longer required to shield they may still be entitled to ESA or SSP where they are sick, or self-isolating and meet the eligibility conditions. People can also apply for Universal Credit.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Food: Coronavirus

Chris Elmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Scottish Government on the financial effect of the covid-19 outbreak on food and drink wholesalers in Scotland.

Chris Elmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Scottish Government on the (a) resilience of food and drink wholesalers during the covid-19 outbreak and (b) the importance of such wholesalers to tourism and other sectors.

Victoria Prentis: The wholesale sector is hugely important within the food and drink supply chain and to the economy of the country through servicing tourism and other financially important sectors. To ensure its ongoing viability in difficult circumstances, the UK Government has provided a range of support. This includes the announcement of a host of measures to help businesses in this period, with over £300 billion worth of Government backed and guaranteed loans to support businesses across the UK. Food and drink wholesalers are eligible for a number of schemes, including: the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan, the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme to help keep millions of people in employment and the Discretionary Grant Fund for small and micro businesses that are not eligible for other grant schemes. The Bounce Back Loan Scheme is also available to small businesses from 4 May. This will apply to wholesalers who will be able to borrow between £2,000 and £50,000 with a 100% Government-backed guarantee for lenders. The Secretary of State speaks to his counterparts in the Scottish Government, including through the Defra multilateral Inter Ministerial Group, on a regular basis when they discuss a range of issues. Discussions also take place regularly at official level and these cover sharing of sectoral information and updates on Government activities. Food supply is a devolved matter. It is therefore for the Scottish Government to decide what discussions they have with their sectors and what support to provide beyond that delivered at UK level in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Infrastructure: Environment Protection

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 30 June 2020 to Question 63295 on Economic Growth: Environment Protection, and with reference to the Prime Minister’s speech of 30 June 2020, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of Project Speed on (a) regulations and (b) environmental protections; and what recent discussions he has had with the (i) Prime Minister and (ii) Chancellor of the Exchequer on amending (A) regulations and (B) environmental protections.

Rebecca Pow: Project Speed provides an opportunity to achieve better outcomes for nature, in line with our manifesto and the 25 Year Environment Plan, while speeding up infrastructure delivery. The Project is in the early stages. There has therefore been no specific assessment yet on the effect of amendments to environmental regulations; we will conduct such assessments as part of the usual policy-making process. The Secretary of State frequently discusses a range of issues with the Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Exchequer.

Home Office

Immigrants: Finance

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant Answer dated 12 June to Question 54984 on Immigrants: Finance, whether (a) local welfare assistance and (b) Section 17 Children Act 1989 support is classified as local welfare provision; and if she will make a statement.

Chris Philp: Local welfare assistance, which is also sometimes called local welfare provision, is classed as a public fund.Assistance given under Section 17 of the Children Act does not fall within local welfare provision and is not classed as a public fund.The Government has already provided more than £3.2 billion of funding to local authorities in England and they will now receive a further £500 million to respond to spending pressures they are facing. Funding has also been allocated to the Devolved Administrations under the Barnett Formula. Funding provided to local authorities under the Covid-19 emergency response will be paid through a grant that is not ring-fenced, recognising that local authorities are best placed to decide how this funding is spent.More information on the support available to migrants, including those with NRPF, can be found at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-get-support-if-youre-a-migrant-living-in-the-uk.

Metropolitan Police: Sutton

Elliot Colburn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many additional police officers (a) have joined the Metropolitan Police in the London Borough of Sutton in the last 12 months and (b) are planned to join the Metropolitan Police in that borough by 2024.

Kit Malthouse: The Home Office does not hold the specific information requested.The Home Office collects and publishes data on police joiners, broken down by Police Force Area in the annual ‘Police workforce, England and Wales’ statistical bulletin. However, data per London Borough are not available.Data for the year ending March 2019 are available here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/831666/police-workforce-mar19-tables.odsFurthermore, the Home Office has also started to publish quarterly updates on ‘Police officer uplift’. The quarterly update contains information on the number of joiners since November 2019 (when these data were first collected). The latest release is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/police-officer-uplift-quarterly-update-to-march-2020The next release of both publications is scheduled for 30 July 2020.The Government has committed to increasing the number of police officers in England and Wales by 20,000 over the next three years. 6,000 additional officers have been allocated to forces across England and Wales by the end of March 2021 and over 3,000 have already been recruited as at March 2020. The Metropolitan Police Service accounted for 714 of the 3,005 officer uplift (24%), and 25% of all officers in England and Wales.

Detention Centres: Dismissal

Sir Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many staff have been dismissed for abusing detainees in immigration detention centres in each of the last five years.

Chris Philp: The Government expects the highest standards from those we entrust with the safety and welfare of those in detention. Management information indicates that 20 detainee custody officers have been dismissed for either the inappropriate use of force or inappropriate behaviour towards a detained individual from 1 January 2015 to 18 July 2020. Of these 20 dismissals, 1 took place in 2015, 2 in 2016, 14 in 2017, 2 in 2018, 1 in 2019 and none in the year to date. These individuals have also had their certification revoked by the Home Office. This is provisional management information that is subject to change. It has not been assured to the standard of Official Statistics. All complaints made by individuals detained at an immigration removal centre (IRC) are investigated by the IRC supplier in accordance with Detention Services Order 03/2015. Any allegations of serious misconduct made against staff at an IRC are also referred to the Home Office Professional Standards Unit for investigation. Where a detained individual, or someone on their behalf, alleges that a member of staff has committed a sexual offence against them the police will automatically be notified, even if the detained individual does not wish the matter to be reported or to make a formal complaint.

Radicalism

Rehman Chishti: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her response of 15 June 2020 to the Hon. Member for Gillingham and Rainham, Official Report, column 555, what resources have been put in place by (a) her Department and (b) her Department's various agencies to tackle the rise of right-wing extremism.

James Brokenshire: Government continues to monitor all emerging evidence related to right wing extremism, including the analysis of the Extremism Analysis Unit.We have established the Building a Stronger Britain Together (BSBT) programme which brings together people across England and Wales to tackle extremism on the ground. In addition, we have created the independent Commission for Countering Extremism to listen to voices around the country and to identify new ways of responding to extremism. Since the programme’s launch in 2016 it has supported over 240 civil society organisations, in the 2019/20 funding round for BSBT 28% of groups were actively tackling far right extremism, a rise of 20% compared to the programme’s first year.As part of our ongoing commitment to protect faith communities following the horrendous attacks in Christchurch last year, we also launched a consultation asking faith groups what else should be done to help them feel safe and confident while practicing their religion. The consultation closed on the 28 June and the responses are being evaluated.

Organised Crime: North Wales

Simon Baynes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to dismantle the operations of county lines drugs gangs in North Wales.

Kit Malthouse: This Government is determined to crack down on the county lines gangs who are exploiting our children and have a devastating impact on our communities.That is why we are delivering a £25m programme of investment to help put a stop to these ruthless gangs. Our overall package launched in October last year and includes: expanding the National County Lines Co-ordination Centre, increased disruption on the rail networks by the British Transport Police’s County Lines Taskforce, operational activity against high harm lines in the three major exporting force areas (the Metropolitan Police, Merseyside, West Midlands), investment in new technology, and increased support for victims. Our funding has supported joint operations across England and Wales, including with North Wales Police.Our investment is already delivering results; as a result of the first phase of activity, between November 2019 and March 2020, the Metropolitan Police, Merseyside, West Midlands and the British Transport Police made over 650 arrests, closed nearly 140 deal lines, seized cash and drugs with a total value of over £3 million, made over 100 weapons seizures, and safeguarded a number of individuals, including 140 children.

Police: North Wales

Simon Baynes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to increase the number of police officers in northern Wales.

Kit Malthouse: The Government is committed to delivering an extra 20,000 police officers over the next three years. The Home Office has confirmed the allocations for every force in England and Wales in the first year of the uplift. 6,000 additional officers have been allocated to forces across England and Wales by the end of March 2021. North Wales Police has been allocated 62 additional officers in year one of the uplift. The force had recruited 23 additional officers by the end of March 2020.To support this recruitment drive, North Wales Police will receive a funding increase this year of £10.4 million.

Asylum: Housing

Neil Coyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps the Government is taking with contractors to ensure that asylum seekers receive adequate accommodation.

Chris Philp: The Home Office and it’s accommodation providers take the welfare of service users seriously.The accommodation provided is safe, habitable, fit for purpose and correctly equipped and it is also required to comply with the Decent Homes Standard in addition to standards outlined in relevant national or local housing legislation. Where providers are found not to meet these standards, appropriate action is taken to hold providers to account and resolve concerns.The Home Office is in daily contact with service providers to ensure that the Government continues to meet its statutory obligation to house destitute asylum seekers and to ensure that all contracted support services are delivered, and service users are housed safely. This is in addition to the monthly and quarterly formal performance boards.

Interpol

Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Red Notices have been issued by Interpol for the location and provisional arrest of a UK citizen pending extradition.

James Brokenshire: The Home Office does not hold the information requested.The National Crime Agency is the UK Interpol Bureau and operates independently of government.It would be contrary to the Interpol Rules of Processing Data for a Member State’s authorities to disclose details of alerts circulated by other Member States.

Police: Cars

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the age is of the oldest car in the police force fleet; how many breakdowns have been recorded of police vehicles while on shift since 2015; and what the maintenance costs were for police cars over that time period.

Kit Malthouse: This information is not held centrally.

Passports: British National (Overseas)

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department,  how many valid British National (Overseas) passports were in issue on the last calendar day of each month since January 2019.

Kevin Foster: We are unable to provide data on the volume of British National (Overseas) passports in circulation (valid) on a monthly basis since January 2019 as this data could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Police: Coronavirus

Jane Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to ensure police forces have the necessary powers to enforce local lockdowns.

Kit Malthouse: Under the Health Protection Regulations, the police have been given the powers they need to support compliance with essential social distancing measures to keep us all safe during the Covid-19 pandemic. The Health Secretary signed new regulations under the Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984 in order to maintain and reimpose restrictions for Leicester, which came into force on 4 July. These regulations also exempt Leicester from the national changes under the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (No. 2) (England) Regulations 2020, which came into force on Saturday 4 July.We worked closely with our policing partners who issued operational guidance to all forces on enforcing the Leicester local lockdown. This operational guidance has been made available on the College of Policing website.

UK Trade with EU

Cat Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps the Government has taken to mitigate the risk of goods being smuggled into the UK from the EU from 1 January 2021 as a result of the phased introduction to border controls.

Chris Philp: The UK has now left the EU, providing a once in a generation opportunity to take back control and strengthen the security of the UK border.In December, the Government announced a plan to strengthen our border security. This included introducing the collection of pre-arrival goods data to stop smuggling and reduce £5 billion revenue leakage, the power to stop EU criminals at the border once we have ended free movement, the phasing out the use of European ID cards that are regularly used fraudulently given their insecurity compared to passports as well as introducing Electronic Travel Authorisation to provide an enhanced ability to screen arrivals and block threats from entering the UK.

Cabinet Office

Borders: Wales

Simon Baynes: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what progress the Government has made on border planning for the Welsh coast for the end of the transition period.

Penny Mordaunt: I refer the hon. Member to the oral statement made by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster on 13 July about the publication of a detailed Border Operating Model. This will allow Welsh border industry and traders to prepare for the end of the transition period.

Ministers: Taxis

Layla Moran: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many taxis and private hire cars were taken by Ministers; at what cost to the public purse; and what the average length of journey taken was since 2018.

Layla Moran: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many Ministers have used first class travel since 2018; and what the cost to the public purse was of those journeys.

Julia Lopez: The full details of the information requested are not held centrally. Cabinet Office policy states that staff, and Ministers, should travel by the most efficient means of transport, and that public transport should be used where possible and appropriate.Details of ministerial overseas travel are published regularly.

Treasury

Economic Growth: North Wales

Simon Baynes: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the covid-19 outbreak, what steps he is taking to support regional economic growth in North Wales as the part of his economic recovery plans.

Simon Baynes: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions he has had with the Welsh Government on supporting high street businesses impacted by the covid-19 outbreak in North Wales.

Steve Barclay: The Treasury’s priority is to support the whole UK economy through Covid-19 and enable a strong and sustainable recovery from the crisis.We have taken unprecedented steps to support viable businesses to stay afloat and protect the incomes of the most vulnerable. The Welsh Government and Office of the Secretary of State for Wales play a key part in these discussions, and there is regular engagement on local economic issues and plans on regional economic growth and recovery in Wales. On 8 July, the Chancellor provided a Summer Economic Update to Parliament, where he announced new initiatives to help businesses recover across the UK, such as Eat Out to Help Out to generate consumer spending, and temporary reduced rates of VAT to support consumers and businesses in sectors which have been badly impacted. This is in addition to providing £2.8 billion to the Welsh Government through the Barnett formula to help the Welsh Government to respond to Covid-19 and meet the needs of its economy.

Small Business Grants Fund

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 7 July 2020 to Question 66016 on Small Businesses: Coronavirus, whether he is collecting data to monitor and record the number of eligible businesses that have not received discretionary grant funding from their local authorities as a result of a funding shortfall; and if he will make a statement.

Kemi Badenoch: As stated in response to Question 66016, the only mandatory criteria for the Discretionary Grant Fund are that the recipient must have been trading as of 11 March and must not have received any other cash grants funded by central Government (with the exception of SEISS). Beyond these criteria, Local Authorities have a significant level of discretion when it comes to designing the eligibility criteria for their discretionary schemes. This means that there is no fixed number of businesses which are eligible for the Discretionary Grant Fund.The Government has encouraged Local Authorities to prioritise several groups of businesses which missed out on the main grant schemes due to the way they interact with the business rates system. However, Local Authorities have the discretion to focus on one or two of these groups, or make payments to other kinds of businesses, according to their assessment of local economic need.Businesses which have not received a grant should have been able to benefit from other measures in the Chancellor’s unprecedented package of support for business, including:• An option to defer VAT payments by up to twelve months;• The Bounce Back Loan Scheme, which will ensure that small and micro businesses can quickly access loans of up to £50,000 which are 100 per cent guaranteed by the Government;• The Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme, now extended to cover all businesses including those which would be able to access commercial credit; • The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, to support businesses with their wage bills; and• The Self-Employment Income Support Scheme, to provide support to the self-employed.In addition to these measures, the Chancellor announced further support for businesses at the Summer Economic Update, including the Jobs Retention Bonus, which will grant businesses £1,000 for each furloughed staff member that they bring back and keep employed until the end of January 2021, and a VAT cut for the hospitality and tourism sectors.

Members: Correspondence

Carolyn Harris: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, when he plans to reply to the urgent letter from the hon. Member for Swansea East and other hon. Members, dated 19 June 2020 on the effect of the covid-19 outbreak on food and drink wholesalers.

Jesse Norman: A response has been issued to the cross-party letter of 19 June 2020 on the effect of the COVID-19 outbreak on food and drink wholesalers.

Urban Areas: North Wales

Simon Baynes: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to increase investment in infrastructure to improve access to town centres in North Wales.

Steve Barclay: The Treasury’s priority is to support the whole UK economy through Covid-19 and enable a strong and sustainable recovery from the crisis.On 8 July, the Chancellor provided a Summer Economic Update to Parliament, where he confirmed an additional £500 million of funding for the Welsh Government in response to Covid-19. In total, the Treasury is providing £2.8 billion through the Barnett formula to help the Welsh Government to recover and respond to the needs of its economy. This is in addition to key schemes available UK-wide to support businesses and the labour market.The Government is also investing £150m in the North Wales Growth Deal to help deliver jobs and economic growth to the local area.

Environment Protection: Coronavirus

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 17 June 2020 to Question 57169 on Economic Situation: Coronavirus, what (a) process and (b) criteria the Government is using to make an assessment of the impact of political interventions on environmental goals including climate change and air quality targets.

Kemi Badenoch: I refer the Honourable Member to the answer I gave to her Parliamentary Question 57169.

Environment Protection: Coronavirus

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 17 June 2020 to Question 57169 on Economic Situation: Coronavirus, whether the Government's assessments of the impacts of potential interventions against their contribution to environmental goals, including climate change and air quality targets will be published; and whether any of those assessments have taken place.

Kemi Badenoch: The Coronavirus is the biggest threat this country has faced in decades. Alongside the focus on supporting the economy, the Government continues to take its environmental responsibilities very seriously.We assess the impacts of potential interventions against their contribution to our environmental goals, including our climate change and air quality targets.Companies receiving support as a Last Resort Business Intervention will need to agree to appropriate conditions, including on climate where we expect companies to commit to ambitious conditions on Net Zero targets. The first company to receive any such support committed to ambitious conditions on climate change and Net Zero targets.

Companies: Coronavirus

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what timescale the Government plans to allow companies to seek Government funding for bailouts under Project Birch.

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the timescale is for loans provided to companies bailed out through Project Birch to be converted into shares; and what conditions the Government plans to attach to such conversions into shares.

Kemi Badenoch: As part of its normal operations the government has always considered providing support to strategically important companies that can reasonably be expected to have a long-term viable future, and whose failure or distress could cause disproportionate harm to the UK economy or society. Companies must have exhausted all other options before being considered, and any support given is on terms that protect the taxpayer, with existing lenders and shareholders expected to contribute to, and share in, the financial burden.

Companies: Coronavirus

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the Government plans to take shares in any companies bailed out through Project Birch at the outset; and whether loans are the only option available to companies initially.

Kemi Badenoch: The government has always considered providing support to strategically important companies that can reasonably be expected to have a long-term viable future, and whose failure or distress could cause disproportionate harm to the UK economy or society. Companies should also demonstrate they have exhausted all other financing options (including support from existing shareholders and lenders). Each case will be considered individually, and any support provided will be bespoke to the company’s needs. Where intervention is deemed to be appropriate, it will be on terms that protect the interests of current and future taxpayers, with existing shareholders and lenders expected to share in the financial burden.

Companies: Coronavirus

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he has taken to prepare a new mandate for UK Government Investments to manage new shareholdings in bailed out companies.

Kemi Badenoch: The government will keep the management of assets from the COVID-19 response under review.

Companies: Coronavirus

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how the Government plans to monitor companies’ compliance with any conditions that are attached to bailout loans and to hold those companies accountable if those conditions are breached.

Kemi Badenoch: As part of its normal operations the government has always considered providing support to strategically important companies. As with any agreement commercial and policy conditions can be attached, these are monitored using a variety of appropriate mechanisms.

Environment Protection: Coronavirus

Neil Gray: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the capital funding to support the Green Investment Scheme is new money.

Kemi Badenoch: The Government takes its environmental responsibilities very seriously. We are committed to meeting our climate change targets, including net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.We have recently announced investments to accelerate progress towards this goal. At Spring Budget 2020 the Government announced at least £800m for carbon capture and storage, over £1bn of further support for ultra-low emission vehicles, at least doubling funding for energy innovation, and tax measures to encourage greater energy efficiency and tackle plastic waste.On July 8th the Chancellor announced a £3.05 billion package on building decarbonisation for homeowners and landlords, the public sector and social housing. Further announcements will follow in the Autumn at the Spending Review.

Environment Protection: Coronavirus

Neil Gray: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the Barnett consequentials are from the £3 billion green investment package.

Steve Barclay: The £3 billion green investment package will generate almost £600 million of Barnett consequentials.As discussed with the devolved administrations, to facilitate their financial planning, we are working to provide them with the expected increase in Barnett consequentials as a result of all changes in departmental spending this year.The Summer Economic Update therefore confirmed that we expect to provide the devolved administrations with an additional £8.9 billion of resource funding this year.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Leisure

Sir Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how many meetings he has held with representatives of (a) the pub trade, (b) gym owners and (c) leisure centres in each of the last six months.

Nigel Huddleston: The SOS and I have regular discussions with sector and industry bodies to understand the full impact of COVID-19 on all areas across the Department's remit.

Music: Coronavirus

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what the timeframe is for (a) brass bands and (b) choirs to restart (i) practising and (ii) performing as the covid-19 lockdown restrictions are eased.

Caroline Dinenage: Detailed guidance for the performing arts has been published on Gov.uk. This guidance sets out the current Public Health England assessment that certain activities, including singing and playing brass instruments, carry a potentially higher risk of transmission and that participation in such activities requires particular attention to the risk involved. This position will be updated as the evidence base develops. To help support the development of the evidence base, DCMS is working closely with SAGE and a number of specialists to examine the existing and emerging evidence to provide advice to guide the future development of policy and guidelines.

Entertainments: Government Assistance

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether he has plans to provide a package of financial support for the live events and entertainment industry until that industry can trade normally again; and if he will make a statement.

Caroline Dinenage: DCMS is engaging with a range of departments to support the economic response to Covid-19, and ensuring that the needs of its sectors including live entertainment and outdoor events and those who work in them, are fully understood. DCMS will continue to work with these valuable sectors to understand the difficulties they face and help them access support through these challenging times and through recovery. On Sunday 5 July 2020, the Secretary of State announced a major £1.57 billion support package for key cultural organisations to help them through the coronavirus pandemic. This funding will provide targeted support to organisations across a range of cultural and creative sectors including some businesses operating in the night time economy. We are working closely with DCMS’ Arm’s Length Bodies to develop guidance indicating who can apply for the different elements of this funding, and we will publish detailed guidance as soon as possible in July.

Visas: Musicians

Mhairi Black: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if he will make it his policy to introduce a (a) two year multi-entry touring visa for musicians, (b) temporary exemption from duty for the transportation of instruments and equipment and (c) an expansion of the list of CITES-designated points of entry and exit.

Caroline Dinenage: DCMS has engaged extensively with union bodies, companies, orchestras, individual musical practitioners and cultural organisations. We understand the importance of being able to tour. We recognise that this depends on musicians and crew being able to move quickly and easily between countries, taking necessary equipment with them. We want a relationship with the EU based on friendly cooperation. On temporary entry for business purposes (mode 4), a reciprocal agreement based on best precedent will mean that UK citizens will be able to undertake some business activities in the EU without a work permit, on a short-term basis. The same would apply for EU citizens making business visits to the UK. The precise details, including range of activities, documentation needed, and the time limit, will be negotiated. There are several options currently available which allow certain goods to be imported temporarily into the UK from outside the EU without payment of duties, subject to certain conditions. These include ATA Carnet and Temporary Admission (TA). Similarly there are options, including ATA Carnet and Returned Goods Relief (RGR), that allow certain goods to be reimported to the UK following temporary export to another customs territory without payment of duties. At the end of the Transition Period, ATA Carnets, RGR and TA will all become options for temporarily moving musical instruments and equipment between the UK and EU. DEFRA has already expanded the list of CITES-designated points of entry and exit available post Transition Period to a total of 29. They will continue to work with port operators, Border Force, and industry to analyse trade flows and will designate further PoE where there is clear evidence of benefit to the UK.

Dance: Coronavirus

Scott Benton: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent discussions he has had with representatives from dance industry organisations to enable (a) competitive dancing and (b) commercial dance lessons to restart in (i) Blackpool and (ii) the rest of the UK.

Caroline Dinenage: The Secretary of State and DCMS are committed to supporting the cultural sector to reopen as soon as it is safe to do so, and ensure appropriate support and guidance is provided. To that end, DCMS has established the Cultural Renewal Taskforce and the Entertainment and Events working group which will be focusing on ensuring that COVID-19 secure guidelines are developed in line with the phasing ambitions and public health directions, building on the existing guidance and providing intelligence and sector-specific expert input. These groups specifically include representatives for the dance sector, such as One Dance UK. Full details of the Taskforce can be found athttps://www.gov.uk/government/news/culture-secretary-announces-cultural-renewal-taskforce, and the Entertainment and Events Working Group can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/cultural-renewal-taskforce-and-supporting-working-groups#entertainment-and-events-members. Furthermore, on 2 July, the Secretary of State met with Shirley Ballas to discuss the specific challenges faced by those within the ballroom dance sector with respect to safe reopening. As the Prime Minister confirmed in his announcement on 23 June, providers who run community activities, holiday clubs, after-school clubs, tuition and other out-of-school provision for children – such as commercial dance lessons for children – can operate over the summer holiday, with safety measures in place. Providers of these settings have been able to open since 4 July, provided that they follow the protective measures set out by government. Protective measures guidance can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/protective-measures-for-holiday-or-after-school-clubs-and-other-out-of-school-settings-for-children-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak Providers who offer indoor sports activities (including dance lessons) for children should also refer to the guidance for Keeping workers / volunteers and customers safe during COVID-19 for providers of grassroots sports and gym / leisure facilities. As announced on the 9 July, indoor gyms, sports courts and fitness and dance studios will be able to open from 25 July and cannot be used for holiday clubs and activities for children until that point.

Internet: Education

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions he has had with (a) the Secretary of State for Education and (b) representatives from telecommunication companies on whitelisting educational websites for children from lower income households.

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions he has had with (a) the Secretary of State for Education and (b) telecommunication companies on improving digital access to online education resources, such as the Oak Academy, for children from low income households.

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions he has had with (a) the Secretary of State for Education and (b) telecommunication companies on reducing the cost of mobile data for families and children accessing online education resources, such as the Oak Academy.

Matt Warman: It is essential that all children, regardless of their family circumstances, have the opportunity to continue to access high quality education throughout the COVID19 pandemic. Let me reassure you that the Government recognises the importance of both ensuring broadband connectivity and supporting children’s access to online learning during this time. My Department is working closely with the Department for Education to ensure vulnerable children have access to online educational resources. Furthermore my Department has previously agreed measures with telecoms providers to support vulnerable consumers more generally. These measures will also indirectly benefit children’s education. For example, as part of the voluntary commitments, the major telecoms providers committed to remove all data allowance caps on all current fixed broadband services.The Department for Education has worked with major telecoms companies to zero rate (otherwise known as whitelisting) the Hungry Little Minds and EdenRed school meal voucher website. Zero-rating is a helpful way to provide families with support to access critical resources where the majority of content is held on one website. Most educational resources including Oak Academy, however, use content that is hosted elsewhere (such as on Youtube or Vimeo) meaning that they will still incur data charges.The Department for Education is therefore working with the major telecommunications companies to improve internet connectivity for disadvantaged and vulnerable families more widely than selected websites. For families who rely on a mobile internet connection, mobile network operators are working to provide access to free additional data offering them more flexibility to access the resources that they need the most. The Department for Education has also delivered or dispatched over 200,000 laptops and tablets and over 47,000 4G wireless routers to local authorities and academy trusts who are best placed to prioritise children and young people who need devices.The Department for Education has also launched a service to provide children and young people free access to BT wifi hotspots. 10,000 families will initially be able to access the scheme. This offer is currently being piloted and will be rolled out across England in the coming months. The Department for Education is currently working with BT to expand this offer to allow more children to access the internet through their network of BT wifi hotspots.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport: Cybercrime and Digital Technology

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how much funding his Department has allocated to (a) digital skills and (b) cyber skills; and to whom that funding has been allocated.

Caroline Dinenage: Since 2018 the government, through DCMS, has provided £9.1 million of funding for digital skills. This has been allocated to:Degree conversion course programmes (£3.3 million) in data science and artificial intelligence with the office for students. Further funding is due in subsequent years for up to 1,000 scholarships to open up opportunities for people from diverse backgrounds.The Fast Track Digital Workforce Fund (£3 million), a digital skills pilot programme covering the Greater Manchester Combined Authority and Lancashire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) areas to boost digital skills training (including cyber security, software development and digital marketing).The Digital Skills Innovation Fund (£1.1 million) for LEPs and Combined Authorities for initiatives that aim to help women, disabled people, and residents in poorer wards get into digital roles or further training and The Digital Inclusion Innovation Fund (£400,000) to help older and disabled people acquire digital skills.Six Local Digital Skills Partnerships (£900,000) that bring together cross-sector regional and national partners to upskill the current workforce.The Grenfell Digital Skills programme (£300,000), which has been made available to the survivors and bereaved to learn digital skills.Code4000’s Coding in Prisons programme (£100,000), supporting their expansion from HMP Humber and HMP Holme House, to other prison sites across the UK and funding support for graduates upon release in finding employment. In addition to this DCMS has also funded research into digital skills. Through the £1.9bn National Cyber Security Strategy, government has funded a range of initiatives to support the development of home-grown cyber security talent. This includes funding for the Cyber Discovery Schools Programme to inspire the next generation of cyber security talent and through the Cyber Skills Immediate Impact Fund to increase opportunities for individuals to retrain and upskill for a career in cyber security. For national security reasons we are unable to detail individual funding by department or initiative.